


Confident

by dnawhite76, Prubbs



Category: Batman (Comics), Birds of Prey (Comic), Justice League - All Media Types, Nightwing (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Miscommunication, fuck buddies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-05
Updated: 2019-03-12
Packaged: 2019-10-22 09:30:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 39,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17660204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dnawhite76/pseuds/dnawhite76, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Prubbs/pseuds/Prubbs
Summary: In order to help Bruce get over the best friend he’s been in love with for the past decade, Lois pushes him at the next cute guythat he sees. He had no way of knowing that the guy in question was also his little brother’s best friend and, according to Oliver, his soul mate.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> _“Why don't you let yourself just be somewhere different?_  
>  Whoa, why don't you let yourself just be whoever you are?” - **Rebecca Sugar** , BE WHEREVER YOU ARE; A song from Steven Universe

“What did you say your name was again?”

“Richard Grayson, sir. Dick actually.”

“Hm.” He stared at him, Dick’s mediocre application laying forgotten on the desk between them. Oliver Queen wasn't exactly an intimidating person. He was rich, sure. Gorgeous, definitely. But it wasn't often that the owner of a huge bar came in to interview a bartending applicant. And not even a very good one. Dick knew that he was trying to place him. Everyone did. He'd been to at least twenty interviews in the last two weeks and they all did the same thing. “You are the underwear guy!” Oliver said with a snap and a grin, pointing his way. “On the billboard ads for Calvin Klein?”

Dick tried his hardest not to roll his eyes as he forced a smile and nodded through the tension. “Yes sir, that was me.” It didn't really matter that he had met Oliver a few times before, he had been the underwear guy for two years. It wasn't ending anytime soon.

“Dude, my mom loves you!” the man laughed and itched at the stubble on his cheek. “Why the hell are you applying here when you have a body like that?”

There was the question. No one had gotten that far yet so he jumped on his chance. “I'm in school to be a social worker,” he told him. A little of the tension eased out of him since no one had let him get past his name. “Modeling is good money, but when I eventually graduate and have a career- I don't want kids to see me and think that I'm _‘the underwear guy’,”_ he told him. It was mostly true.

“Why do you want to be a social worker?”

“My parents died when I was a kid,” he said with a shrug. It was a longer story, but if he went into it they would be there for a while and he didn't want to hurt the one chance he'd gotten. “I bounced around to a couple of foster homes before they managed to get a hold of my Godfather. It wasn't an ideal experience. I think there is a lot that we can do to prevent unfair treatment of children, particularly minorities- we just need more people to…” Oliver had a weird look on his face. “I lost you, didn't I?”

“No. It's not that,” he laughed in apology and shook his head. “You just remind me of a friend of mine is all.” He picked up his application and looked it over again. “Have you ever bartended before?”

“Nope.”

“Do you drink much?”

“Nope.”

“Ever been arrested?”

“Yes,” Dick admitted with a bashful smile, “But I swear to god it was to help a friend.”

“You hold up alright in a fight?”

He shrugged, “Depends on why we’re fighting.”

“You can start tomorrow.”

“Are you serious?” he demanded, unable to believe it after being rejected from the positions that could have actually started him out in his field.

“I mean, technically you'll have to start next week, we aren't open tomorrow,” Oliver shrugged.

Dick shot out of his chair unable to help the grin that threatened to crack his jaw as he shook the man's hand. “Thank you,” he told him and he meant it. “Seriously, Mr. Queen thank you so much.”

Oliver nodded a little dazed, eyes glazed over in a way that told Dick he wasn't entirely there with him. “Yeah, yeah, it's not a big deal,” he told him and shook his head. “Just do me a favor and smile at every girl who comes in here like that.”

He left the office feeling lighter than he had in weeks. That was one problem solved, he had a job. Now he just needed a place to live. He had spent the summer traveling around with his uncle Richard who wasn't really his uncle. He'd been best friends with his mom for practically their entire lives so the name just stuck. He worked at the circus that Dick’s parents had been in before the accident. Dick had worked there too, been in an act with them until the wire broke and left him an orphan. He knew that he had a place there should he ever want to come back. But as much as Dick loved the circus and the people he had met there, he felt like he was meant to do something bigger with his life. Something important. He'd taken a year off after high school, unable to afford tuition or get a loan after his scholarship fell through. So he took a modeling job. And then another. And before he knew what happened, he was the underwear guy. But that just wasn't going to cut it anymore.  

He called Wally who answered on the first the first ring like he had been waiting for it. “Don't tell me,” Wally started and Dick smirked to himself as he made his way down to the subway towards the pier. “They wanted someone who actually knew something about alcohol?”

“Nope,” he quipped swiping his card. “They wanted someone pretty.”

“You got the job?”

“I got the job!” The woman next to him on the platform gave Dick a funny look as he laughed while Wally made cheering crowd noises on the other end of the line.

“Thank god!” he said finally after he wound himself down. “I was starting to think you might have to model forever and your brain would turn to mush.”

“Not all models are stupid,” he complained, but Wally had already moved past that.

“So you have a job, now you just need to get over yourself and come stay in my empty room.” He pushed. Again. It had been a topic of conversation for a month now.

Wally parents owned an old house right off of campus that had four rooms. It was huge and close to downtown and Dick had been there enough times to know it was cosy. The only problem was that Dick had been there when he and Wally had been dating- a relationship that ended a little rocky at the height of Dick's short lived modeling career. They were okay now, but living with each other just… seemed weird after everything. But he was the only one who seemed to think so. Jason and Roy, Wally’s current roommates, thought it was the dumbest excuse ever. Dick had known Jason since they were ten and he had been dying for them to be roommates for years. He was currently in one of his many cycles of not talking to Dick out of annoyance for his stubbornness but he knew that it would end soon and Jason would be poking the wound all over again.

Dick sighed heavily, knowing that he should just give up already and accept the help. But there was still something holding me back. “I don't know Wally…” he started.

It was Wally’s turn to sigh. “I promise to keep my hands to myself and not make things weird,” he told him. Again. He didn't wait before he continued, “Just think about it? I need to get better grades this semester and thinking about you living on the streets is extremely distracting. It's yours if you want it. Whenever you want it.”

“Thanks,” he said, and he meant it. For a moment missing the relationship they use to have before he remembered that he didn't have time to deal with that again. “I have a couple more stops to make, I'll call you later?”

“You better.” Wally warned him and they hung up.

He came up about a block from where the address in the paper told him to go, just barely in the edge of Burnside. It was farther than he would like, but the rent was cheap and the ad had seemed quirky. He hadn't been expecting to come to a stop outside of a clock tower. Dick checked the address again and looked back up unable to help his grin before he walked around the building to find the door.

It took a full five minutes after he rang the bell for someone to pop up. A very red-faced redhead pulled the door open looking annoyed and out of breath. She looked Dick up and down, letting her eyes crawl slowly back up to his face before she said, “No,” and shut the door on him. Dick blinked. He knocked again. The door opened and the redhead was there again, glaring impatiently at him. “What?”

“Did I do something wrong?” he asked confused. “You're Barbara right? I'm here about the room.” He held the paper up like she didn't know about her ad and dropped it immediately, offering his hand instead. “I'm Dick.”

“I know,” she said and her eyes went up above him. He followed her gaze and mortification hit him when he saw himself on the billboard directly behind him.

She smirked when he looked back at her and swallowed hard. “So... that is unfortunate,” he grumbled wondering what he had done to the gods for them to punish him like this.

And Barbara laughed despite herself. “Look, Dick, I'm sure you are a nice guy. But two ladies live here. Ladies that haven't exactly had the greatest luck with guys. And the last thing we need is a super hot dude walking around making our home life as complicated as the rest of-"

“I'm gay.”

She stopped dead and blinked at him again. Her eyes narrowed and after a moment she opened the door a little wider, “Let me show you around.”

 

\---

 

Bruce was humming to himself when the door slammed open. He opened the shower door and stuck his head out. Oliver smiled in greeting and then smirked as he looked him up and down. He rolled his eyes and shut the door. “What do you want?”

“I found your soul mate!” Oliver declared too loudly for the room, even over the sound of the water.

“Let me guess. Blonde, big boobs, laughs at all my jokes.” All of the dates Oliver had found for him met two if not all three of those criteria.

“No. Like your actual soul mate. The one you won't let yourself look for.”

He stared at the shower wall. He had never understood Oliver's obsession with soul mates. His parents were divorced, and hadn't even particularly liked each other when they were married, so it hadn't been from them. It was like he woke up one day when they were teenagers and decided that everyone had a soul mate- that one person that was theirs. The shampoo leaked down his forehead and he hissed as he stuck his head under the water. He rinsed off and turned off the water. “Describe this soulmate?” he said as he stepped through the door. Oliver was already holding a towel open for him. He laughed when the towel moved away and Oliver tilted his head as he looked at him. He snatched the towel out of his hands and shot him a look.

“Oh yeah. Dark hair. Brightest blue eyes I've ever seen. Other than yours of course.” Oliver winked, but continued. “Gorgeous. Like seriously. Pretty. Has a brain. And is going to school to be a social worker. So clearly has a heart.”

“Where did you meet this soulmate?” he asked as he dried off his hair.

“An interview…. for a bartending spot at Vermillion.” Oliver added in a rush. He should have known.

“I'm not dating one of your employees,” he said and drew the towel around his waist. He walked out of the bathroom and through the attached room. When he hit the hallway a thought hit him. “How did you find me?” he asked turning back to Oliver who was following him.

“You're the only person I know that has a favorite shower.” Oliver shrugged. “I know. I've heard all the reasons. Again. The ONLY person I know that has a list of reasons they prefer a particular shower in a room on the opposite side of their house.”

“It's just me. It's not like it matters.”

“I still can't believe you were too chicken shit to tell the designer that you didn't like the waterfall shower.”

“It added value to the house,” he retorted. Oliver waved around them with an exasperated expression.

“You live in a mansion. I'm pretty sure it has plenty of _value_ .” He padded down the halls across the manor to his room. He _could_ move rooms. It would solve the problem, but this had always been his room. He didn't want to move. He wanted a normal shower with a door. But he had been a little afraid of the designer. He pulled on boxers, but Oliver pushed his dresser drawer shut before he could grab a shirt. “You're ignoring me. Soul. Mate. Like the person for you.”

“I doubt she's my soulmate. I appreciate it though,” he offered. Oliver leaned in with a wide smile.

“ _He_ is your soulmate.”

“No.” He pushed Oliver's hand away and grabbed a shirt.

“Oh come on,” Oliver pleaded.

“Gotham isn't Star City. I can't.” Oliver put a hand on his elbow, pulling him back to face him. The kiss was soft, an apology. He let the tension go. The next kiss was deeper. It drew him in as it always did. The shirt he hadn't even gotten to put on was pulled from his hand and set back on the dresser as Oliver walked him backwards to the bed.

 

-

 

He listened to the whistle of Oliver's breath as he slept. He knew the whistle was from a broken nose he got when he was fourteen. He had run into a door at school staring at Harvey Dent’s ass while he tied his shoe. He knew that his shoulder clicked when it was going to rain. He knew what he looked like drunk enough that everything was funny. He knew what he looked like when he thought nothing in the world would ever be funny again. He knew Oliver. He knew that he loved him. But if the last twelve years had taught him anything… he knew that Oliver would never love him back.

When they were sixteen, a few months after they had clumsily rubbed off on each other in the attic of the manor, Oliver had bumped into his shoulder while they were studying and told him that he still liked girls. When Bruce had blinked at him, he'd clarified with ‘I mean I like dudes too. I think I like both’. He'd nodded, like he understood. And after a moment, uttered ‘yeah me too’. It was the first time he'd ever lied to Oliver. It wasn't the last. He lied when he agreed to be friends with benefits. He lied when he told him they could stop, he understood, Moonday is great. He lied when he told him he was dating. He lied when they started it back up a month after Oliver's split with Sarah. He lied each time they stopped because someone had caught Oliver's eye. He lied because he knew he couldn't have all of him, but he wanted the parts that he could get. He wanted to fall asleep to the whistle, he wanted to watch him laugh, wanted to hold him when he cried.

He closed his eyes when Oliver rolled over and tucked his head against his shoulder. The whistle was muffled by the fabric of the shirt he'd finally gotten to put on. He closed his eyes and pretended this was real. That he was happy.

 

-

 

“Rrrrrrrk! Mmmmmmm!”

“Mmhhmm. Rrrrrk!”

“I was a little concerned when my wife told me a man was in Jon's room contemplating kidnapping.”

“Pa!” Jon shouted and crashed the cars he'd been driving across Bruce's chest into each other. The toddler crawled over him and Clark scooped him up.

“Only for a few hours,” he replied. “The babysitter canceled. I am a great godfather and offered to stay with Jon so his parents could go out. So his mother, who looks very very beautiful in her dress, could get wasted.”

“Or! And hear me out. The babysitter didn't cancel. You suck it up for one night and come out with your friends for your _second best_ Best Friend's big night. Now that sounds better to me.”

“Please tell Oliver that he's my second best Best Friend? I'll go if you promise to tell him that to his face.”

Clark looked down at Jon. “He just needs to accept that I am the superior friend.” He laughed as he climbed to his feet. Jon leaned toward him and he took him from his father. “I give you baby privileges. He doesn't.”

“You have a point. Though I do get to see him naked,” he mused as they headed downstairs. Jon started running the cars over his shoulders.

“I could--that's not…”

“Lois. Clark needs your help. He's trying to be my best friend. I need to see his naked body.” Clark sputtered but his wife laughed. He handed Jon over so she could get him settled into the highchair. She had a towel draped over the front of her dress. Jon was in a picky eating phase and refused to let anyone other than his mom feed him, and only ate what he felt like that day.

“If this is what it will take then I will allow it. But no touching!” He saw the sparkle in her eyes and grinned.

“Get to it Kent,” he said sitting down at the table. Lois looked over at her husband. Clark squirmed under both of their gazes before he turned and headed back up the stairs to change.

“I hate both of you,” Clark shouted from the stairs.

“I take it he didn't like your plan?” Lois asked while Jon ate his potatoes.

“He did not. Oliver's going to want to introduce me to this soulmate he found. I'm tired of soulmates.” He leaned his head back. “It could just be a person he think I'd like. Doesn't have to be the ONE.”

“Or you could tell him how you feel and he might stop setting you up altogether.” Lois was the only person who knew that he was depressingly pathetically in love with Oliver. It had come out one night when he was drunk. She had told Bruce that she was worried he was going to steal Clark from her. He'd laughed and it had been too easy to tell her why that would never happen. That had been 5 years ago. She'd been keeping his secret since, though with each passing year she'd gotten more and more forceful with her suggestions.

“No,” he mumbled. She zoomed the last spoonful into Jon's mouth as she looked at Bruce. She was planning something. He could see it in her eyes.

 

-

 

Oliver stopped by for about two seconds when they got to the club. He shouted his hellos before one of the managers pulled him away with some problem. A few years ago Verdant’s opening had been a catastrophe. Vermillion's opening at least looked like most of the issues had been smoothed out before people walked in the door. The party was invite only. So most of the people in the club were friends, or family, or other people in the industry that Oliver wanted to show off to. They walked around the club looking at the different fixtures and spaces.

“Drink this.” He accepted the shot and after a look from Lois took it. He took the next two as well. By the time they got back to their booth he was relaxed. He'd never liked going out. He'd done it when he was younger and stupid, but there had been a moment when he stopped and it hit him that he hated it. He hated the loud music and the lights and the constantly smiling happy people who weren't happy at all. He was pretty sure it was the moment that a paparazzi got a picture of Ollie making out with some guy. Gotham was a conservative town, full of conservative money. It had been that moment that he realized he could never be himself. Not if he wanted WE to thrive. He took another two shots. He was pretty sure one of them was meant for Clark if the disgruntled noise he had made was any clue.

“Clark, go get us some real drinks.” Clark looked at him before sliding out. Lois scooted real close to him.

“I think you need to see tonight as the beginning. Tonight you will take one step to get over Oliver.” He shook his head, but he couldn't explain to her why he didn't like that idea. “Just one step. You're drunk enough, go grab some hot guy and fuck ‘em. That's it. That's step one.” He frowned at her. She smiled cheerfully at him. “Want me to help you pick one?” He looked out into the crowd when she turned his head to it. “That one,” she finally declared.

She pointed to a guy leaning against the bar talking to one of the bartenders. He laughed, his head tilting back, and Bruce stood up. “Yeah. That one.”

“Whoa. Hold on.” Clark handed him a glass.

“Water?” Lois asked. Clark nodded. He downed it like the shots he'd been taking and set it firmly on the table. He took a deep breath and walked over to the bar.

“I like your laugh!” he shouted. He blinked. Was his voice really that loud. The surprised and confused expression on the guy's voice was confirmation that it was indeed.

“I wasn't laughing?”

“You did a minute ago. I liked it.” Bruce watched his eyes narrow in suspicion.

His nose crinkled as he tried to look serious but he looked like he was holding back a smile. “Have you been watching me?”

Bruce shook his head. “No. I saw you laugh and walked over here. Do it again.” He leaned on the bar and looked at the man's face. He didn't want to miss the laugh.

It didn't come though. Instead he watched the slow curl of his lips as he grinned and said, “I can't just laugh on command. You have to say something funny. That's how laughing works.”

He frowned and tried to think of a joke. He looked over to the guy, who was still smiling at him. “Did you hear about the guy that got hit in the head with a soda can?” He shook his head. “He was lucky it was a soft drink.”

And he laughed.

His head tilted back as his entire face lit up. He wanted to see it again. To make that laugh bubble up and burst out again and again.

“That was awful. You're lucky I like puns.”

“One of the kids at the rec center taught me that.” The guy smiled at him. He wasn't just humoring him anymore. The smile directed at him was real. He'd said something right. He leaned forward and watched blue eyes dart to his mouth and back. “I can tell you some more. Or we could find someplace private?”

“Both works,” he said and grabbed Bruce's wrist before walking to the stairs leading up to the balcony. He looked down over the crowd but mostly focused on the ass in the tight pants in front of him. He barely resisted the urge to touch.

He followed him into a darkened room. As the door shut the light switched on. It was a small store room. Chairs that matched the ones sitting around some of the tables downstairs were stacked along the back wall. It looked like it was doubling as an employee break room. There were cups and bags of food tucked in the corners where a few chairs were circled.

“So I was reading this book on anti-gravity… it was so good -” The kiss surprised him. He mumbled through the first few seconds before giving up on the joke and kissing back. It had been a while since he'd kissed anyone other than Ollie. He pushed that thought away and let himself enjoy the moment. He pulled back at the sharp sting on his lip. Bruce looked at the blue eyes watching him and surged down into a kiss, grabbing the ass that had been teasing him on the stairs and lifting as he took those few steps to press them against the wall. Long legs wrapped around him and he felt a moan vibrate against his lips. “-I couldn't put it down,” he finished before sucking on the neck arching before him.

Bruce let the legs go and feet touched the ground for a second before he sunk to his knees. He looked up. Wide blue eyes looked down at him in surprise, but he could see the heat in those eyes as he undid the button on the pants in front of him. Bruce watched his face as he unzipped and pulled him out of his pants. He watched the surprise fade into awe and flush rise up his neck and cheeks. He watched a lip get pulled between teeth and eyes roll back as they shut. He finally looked at the dick in his hand.

A quiet “Oh god,” broke the silence when Bruce sucked him down in one fluid movement. He thought about smiling, but looked up to see the awe back on his face and focused on keeping it there. Pants, gasps, and curses that got more and more creative as time went on filled the tiny room. He was aching in his pants. Each noise driving him closer and closer. He needed to come, but needed him to come first.  Bruce wrapped his fingers around him, and pumped as he sucked and licked the head. “Sh-sh-sh-shit,” he heard before he felt him coming. He swallowed and kept pumping until he felt him go limp against the wall. He slowed and let go.

“Uh Uh,” he heard and his hands were pushed away from his dick. “My turn.” He didn't last long, too worked up from the blow job he'd given. He ran his fingers through the curls resting on his thigh as he came down.

The chirp of a phone broke the silence of the room. “Oh fuck. I have to go.” He watched as pants were pulled back up and zipped. He got a smack of a kiss on his lips before he was left alone in the room. He put himself back in his pants and straightened his shirt and jacket. He swiped his hand through his hair as he stepped back into the darkness of the club, feeling a lot more sober and a lot more relaxed than he'd felt at the beginning of the night.

The club was busier as he walked back down the stairs. The bars were lined with people. The dance floor wasn't much more than a writhing mass. He skirted the edge and crossed back to their table. Lois’ eyes met his and she smiled. Her eyes flicked to the figure standing in front of their table and he stopped for a moment.

“Jay?” His brother turned. He moved to hug him. He hadn't seen him in months. He caught himself, but Jason rolled his eyes and walked into his half outstretched arms.

“Stop looking so pathetic,” he grumbled against Bruce's shoulder.

“I didn't know you were coming.” Oliver hadn't said anything. Jason had always gotten an invite to parties and openings even when Bruce didn't want him to get them.

“Yeah. I'm here with some friends. One of them works here. So we're mostly here to laugh at him. I better go find them though.” He didn't want him to leave, but he nodded and resisted the need he had to tell him to stay safe.

“I swear he gets taller every time I see him,” Lois said after he sat back down and grabbed the neon green drink in front of him. “I remember when he was this high and calling me a hottie.” He laughed and the weight pressing on his chest lifted.

“Where'd you go?” Clark asked.

“I got lost looking for the bathroom,” he lied and looked out at the crowd.

“You found it though?” Lois asked.

“Yeah. It was really nice,” he replied. He looked back. Lois was smiling and Clark looked confused as to why they were talking about the bathroom.

“Bruce! There you are.” Oliver popped out of nowhere as he sucked the last of the drink through the straw. “I have someone I want you to meet.” He looked back at the couple as he let Oliver drag him away and to the bar. They stepped up to the end and Oliver climbed half over it calling out to one of the bartenders. He held onto Oliver as he teetered. His attention on where his hands were holding Oliver's waist.

“This is Dick,” Oliver said. He looked up and into the brightest blue eyes he'd ever seen. The ones that he'd watched close as their owner came down his throat. The amused smile that Bruce had been wearing dropped off his face. “Dick, Bruce Wayne.”

“Wait. _You're_ Jason's brother?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _A Look Behind the Scenes_  
>   
> 
> Hey guys, Prubbs here. 
> 
> So we did that thing again where we tried to write a short smut and then got carried away with emotions and such. Sorry, but as my queen Demi Lovato says, We are not sorry. 
> 
> Yes this fic was named after a Demi Lovato song, [ Confident ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwLRQn61oUY). It's a banger, so if you haven't listened to it then please do it's rad. 
> 
> The quote for this fic is also from a song. It's not something we usually like to do since we name our fics after songs- but when we were starting this I was moving to a new state and it just really resonated in me. It's a song called, [ Wherever You Are](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_KUE3OkWxY) by Rebecca Sugar from her TV series Steven Universe. She is my queen so this is her Demo of the song if you are curious- and everyone should watch the show! 
> 
> As Always, thank you for reading! Subscribe to our page for more stories and subscribe to THIS story so you know the exact time it updates. 
> 
> If you have story requests, questions or just want to say hello-- follow DNA and I on twitter at [@PBrubbs](https://twitter.com/PBrubbs) and [@Dnawhite51](https://twitter.com/Dnawhite51) and see the process of our day to day writing frustrations. 
> 
>  
> 
> _-TheDubbs (Prubbs and DNA)_


	2. Chapter 2

This wasn’t exactly how he had envisioned his first day at work. Barbara and Dinah had spent the day helping him unpack at the clocktower and arguing the pros of skinny jeans as a bartender and how it was essential for his livelihood. They had ripped through all of his boxes until they both agreed that they had found the winning pair. So when he’d gone to work in his tightest pants hoping that it would catch the right attention from the right patrons-- he had no idea that it would lead to getting sucked off by his boss’ best friend who also happened to be his best friend’s older brother. 

Bruce was still staring at him blankly, “You know my brother?” he asked like he hadn’t just made out with him in the breakroom. Or maybe this was the look of someone who was all too aware that he had. All wide eyes and pale skin like he’d seen the ghost of blowjobs past.

“Wait,” Oliver frowned between them. “Do the two of you know each other?” 

A flash of panic ran across Bruce’s face so Dick took over for him. “Y-yeah,” he laughed. “Well kind of. We met a few years ago when Jason moved into the dorms? We roomed together freshman year.” He held his hand out to shake Bruce’s hand with a look that told him to go with it. “It’s been a while though, uh, Mr. Wayne.” 

He took his hand numbly, but Dick swore that he saw a thank you in his expression. “You have to be kidding me!” Oliver grinned smacking Bruce on the shoulder. “You’ve already met and you never told me? What a small world, huh?” 

“Yeah…” Bruce nodded, his eyes burning as he looked right through Dick. “A little too small.” 

Dick looked back at the bartop, it was crowded and the other two bartenders were starting to throw him curious looks that told him they would be asking about this later. “I should get back,” he said shuffling awkwardly as he tried moving away from them. “It was nice to see you again Mr-” 

“What no,” Oliver grabbed Dick's arm and pulled him back making him wonder what exactly he had done to deserve this. “They’ve got this handled without you. I overstaffed on purpose. Come hang out with us! I can tell you all about Mr. Wayne, it’s the least I can do after chatting his ear off about you.” 

“Sir, I uh- I’m not-” 

Oliver held the swing door open and fixed him with a look. “Don’t make me pull the boss card.” He smirked at him and this time Dick looked at Bruce for help but he was still pale and looked tipsy and was as in the dark about all of this as Dick was. Great. He stepped out from behind the bar. “Thatta boy.” Oliver laughed, patting him on the back as he put an arm over his shoulders and swept them back towards the back of the club where the VIP tables were. 

Dick wanted to die. He wanted to fall off a cliff and lay at the bottom for the rest of eternity. So far on his first day at work he had already managed to make five very wrong sazeracs, spill a glass of champagne on a guest, fool around with his best friend's brother, clock in three minutes late and yet his boss was inviting him to come ‘hang out’ with his friends. He was going to be sick. There was a couple that looked about Bruce and Oliver’s age sitting alone at the table, the woman was gorgeous in a black halter dress and nearly spit out her drink when she saw who Oliver was toting over behind Bruce. Great. So she knew. Though it was clear that her husband didn’t. He was definitely going to be sick. 

“Sorry, guys!” Oliver said pulling Dick in the rope and pushing him toward Bruce who awkwardly tugged at him to sit down. As soon as Dick sat down Bruce removed his hand to ball it in his lap. It was a little easier to hear in this area, the DJ was set up closer to the main bar that unfortunately still looked like it was doing fine without him. Oliver sat next to him and pushed a glass of champagne into every hand. “I had to grab a new friend.” Dick fumbled uselessly with the stem of his glass, Bruce wasting no time downing his like a shot as Oliver motioned for Dick to take a drink. “This is Dick,” he grinned grabbing his shoulder as he took a tentative sip, “Bruce’s soul mate.”

Both Dick and the woman choked on their champagne and he quickly put it down. “I’m sorry.” he coughed, grabbing his chest. “Bruce’s what?” he demanded. 

The other man with glasses laughed but when he smiled at him it was apologetic, “Oliver seems to think that you are Bruce’s perfect match,” he explained. “We all think he’s an idiot, but you seem nice enough.” He leaned over the table and shook his hand. “I’m Clark, by the way. And this is my wife Lois.” The woman waved at him still looking between him and Bruce like she could not believe this was happening. 

“I resent that,” Oliver told Clark taking a drink from his own glass. “And you don’t know Dick like I do.” He talked like he had had more than five conversations with him over the course of the last week- most of which consisted of, ‘wow, you are early,’ and, ‘how do you get your hair to do that?’. “He’s in school to be a social worker, wants to help orphaned and abused children. He’s from…” he stopped and looked at Dick with a frown. “Where are you from?”

This was really happening and he couldn’t stop it now, so he took a big drink of champagne and clapped his hands together looking back at his boss. “I don’t actually know.” he told him, “All over I guess. I grew up in a traveling circus.” 

“You are shitting me," Oliver told him, obviously not expecting that answer. 

“Nope," he popped the ‘p’ and leaned back on the couch. “My parents and I had and acrobat act till I was about thirteen and they died. After that I stayed in Gotham with my Godfather, but before that it was all over.” 

Oliver blinked at him and Dick could swear he saw the gears in his brain turning as he tried to figure out if he should believe him or not. “That is literally the craziest thing I think I’ve ever heard,” he said finally, looking around him at Bruce. “Is that not the craziest thing you've ever heard?” he demanded. Then he looked back at Clark, “Another reason! He’s flexible.” Dick barked out a laugh at that despite himself but it just encouraged Oliver more, “Oh! And, he’s gorgeous. You remember those Calvin Klein ads from a few years back, all black and white?” 

“Oh my god.” Lois shook her head and then beamed at Bruce. “There used to be one of those outside my office building,” she told Dick. “A huge billboard. All of the girls in the office…” she giggled, “Let’s just say it was well appreciated.” 

“Thanks,” he mumbled trying to make it look like he didn’t want to crawl out of his skin while avoiding the look that Bruce was giving him causing him to flash back to his hands running down his body less than an hour ago. How had today gotten so weird? 

Clark alone didn’t seem impressed by his modeling days and Dick oddly appreciated him for that. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees and looked Dick up and down. “We can settle this here and now if you want.” He glanced at Oliver to tell him to shut up and offered a humoring shrug. Dick nodded. “Favorite color?”

Dick bit on his smile at how simple the question was. He thought about it for a minute and glanced over at Bruce who had angled towards him, seeming just as curious as everyone else. “Blue,” he said catching the color of his eyes as he smiled at him. 

“How old are you?” 

“Twenty three,” he said straightening his back, “Next question.” Lois smirked at him.

“I assume you like kids?” Clark asked referring to his chosen field. 

“I love kids.” 

That made Clark smile, “You want one?” 

“A couple.” He shrugged. “The circus was like a big family. I have at least twenty uncles and cousins everywhere.”

That made Lois smile. She scooted towards the middle where Bruce was and pinched him. Clark continued not taking any notice. “Forgive me for this one,” he prefaced with his hand up. “Sexual orientation?” 

He chuckled, “Gay.” he admitted with no shame. 

Clark seemed to like his answers. He sat back and smiled at him as he wrapped and arm around his wife's shoulders. “What about your friends?” he asked him. “Do you think they’d get along with our group?” 

Oliver grinned at that, jumping in for him. “You’ll never believe this, but-” 

And then as if he had been summoned, Jason showed up at the table. 

“Where the hell have you been?” He demanded climbing over the rope, pushing his way between him and Bruce on the couch. “I stood at the bar for half an hour flirting with that weird Shawn girl until she told me you were kidnapped by that freak and my brother.” 

He felt like he was on display. Like he was in a very captivating play where new characters were introduced every ten minutes and you knew that the end was going to be something big. He sighed, “Well,” he explained, “That _freak_ is my boss. So what he says goes. And he seemed to think I’m your brother’s soul mate.” 

Jason laughed at that and shook his head at Bruce with a grin, “He’s still doing this?” he asked him before turning back to Oliver. “Bruce isn’t gay,” he told him like it was a common argument at their house. “You were closer with that leggy blond you brought up last time. I know Dick is pretty, but he’s not exactly Bruce’s type.” 

Bruce’s face had gone pale again and Oliver looked like he was gearing up to say something- something that if Dick was reading him right, Bruce didn’t want him to say. 

“Yeah, he was just telling me that.” Dick smiled easily and stood up, “C’mon I’ve got to get back to work. And I’ll make you a drink,” he said and managed to push Jason back over the ropes. “It was nice to meet you,” Dick called quickly back to Clark and Lois. He nodded at Bruce and then thanked Oliver before dragging Jason through the crowd to the bar. 

Bruce’s chest seized as Dick spoke. And tightened even more when Jason laughed. Jason looked to him with a grin. 

“He’s still doing this?” Jason had been witness to a few of Oliver's attempts. He'd found it entertaining when he was younger, but over the years, with each failed relationship the game Oliver played had lost its shine in Jason's eyes. “Bruce isn’t gay.” Jason's voice was so sure. Like it had been years ago the first time Oliver had tried setting him up with a guy. Jason had never asked him, so he'd never actually lied, but it felt more and more like a lie with each time Jason said those words. “You were closer with that leggy blond you brought up last time. I know Dick is pretty, but he’s not exactly Bruce’s type.” 

Oliver looked like he was ready to explain Bruce's type in graphic detail. He tried mentally telling him to shut up, then attempted to melt into the floor and away from this conversation, away from his little brother who barely even tolerated him anymore. 

“Yeah, he was just telling me that.” He startled at Dick's voice. He stared as Dick smiled and pulled Jason away from their table, away from the man who was trying to blow up his carefully constructed world.

“Oliver,” Lois hissed when Jason's back disappeared into the crowd. 

“What?” Oliver asked. “Dick's great right?” 

“I'm going home,” he said. 

“Bruce,” Lois called. Clark had shifted like he was going to follow him when he looked back at his friends. 

“Stay, enjoy your night.” 

-

The ticking of the clock echoed through his room. It followed him down the halls when he gave up on sleeping. Followed him as he wandered through the empty manor. He crossed to his parent's rooms, then up to Jason's. He circled around to the grandfather clock and tapped its face as it ticked away. On most days the sprawling grounds of the manor were unnoticeable, but some nights he could feel every empty room pressing down on him, pushing at him until the loneliness was too much. 

He grabbed his keys. He didn't care that is was almost three in the morning, he needed to get out. Get somewhere that wasn't so dull and lifeless. 

He drove through the city, watching the few people still out on the streets. He pulled in to a grocery store, it's bright lights beckoning him in. There was a single clerk at the front talking to a coughing college student with a single bottle of medicine on the conveyor. He grabbed a cart so he wouldn't feel as out of place and walked the aisles. 

He read the label on a jar of capers, then picked up the jar next to it. One of the ladies at the center had talked about them the week before, she'd raved about how good they were and how much her boyfriend had hated them. He snagged a coupon hanging underneath it and read it before he set the three jars in his cart next to the Family sized box of Frankenberry and the grill brush. He pushed the cart down the aisle looking at the shelves. He turned the corner, distracted by a jar with a dog on it and the cart stopped as it hit someone. 

“I'm sorry,” he uttered. 

“Bruce?” Dick was standing in front of him holding a basket. He looked surprised and asked “What are you doing here?” 

“Grocery shopping,” he answered, painfully aware of his sweats and the free hugs long-sleeve Clark had given him back in college. Dick was in a perfectly fitted button up and jeans that looked like he had painted them on. Dick glanced down at the cart and he regretted the answer. There was no explanation for the items in the cart. 

“I haven't seen Frankenberry since I lived with Jason,” Dick said with a smile. He'd added the box to his cart for that reason. He remembered Jason's laughter as they acted out the monster cereals when he was younger. 

“Huh, yeah,” he said a few seconds too late. “What are you doing out so late?” 

“I just got off. My roommates have been hinting they were going to start padlocking the pantry if I didn't do some shopping,” Dick had bread and various sandwich ingredients in his cart. 

“You really like capers don't you?” 

“I've never had them,” he mumbled. “There was a coupon.” 

“What?” Dick laughed, that same laugh that had drawn Bruce over the week before. “I haven't eaten yet. I could make you something to apologize for running into you.”

“You don't-” Dick looked eager and if he was being honest with himself the idea of going back to the manor alone was the last thing he wanted so he agreed with a quiet, “Okay.” 

“Awesome.” He followed Dick around the store as he asked him what he had at home. He tried to buy Dick's basket since it was overflowing with food, but Dick had chuckled and said, “I can get this. Don't forget your coupon.” He took the bags before Dick had finished paying. 

Dick stopped talking as they drove up the drive and the manor came into view. He was quiet as they walked inside and to the kitchen. “I've always wanted to see inside. My foster parents wouldn't let me come over. I think they didn't want me to think I could live like this.”

“They weren't the only ones. That's why Jason's birthdays were always somewhere else and not here.” Arcades and water parks where parents could offer to stay and ‘help’ him keep an eye on the kids, because no one thought he could take care of a group of pre-teens. If only they knew how _smothering_ he could be. 

“I can't believe you have this whole thing to yourself,” Dick muttered while putting away a few of his actual groceries. “Where are your pots and stuff?” Dick didn't let him back off after he showed him where everything was. He set him to cutting the chicken, talking him through it as he gathered everything else. Dick's offer to make him food turned in to Bruce making it while Dick told him what to do. He didn't mind it, and Dick looked amused by bossing him around. He burned the second batch and Dick pulled out another breast. “That's why I got extra.”

“Try this,” Dick said holding one of the capers out to him, wedged between his fingers. He opened his mouth, eyes on the chicken in front of him. It was more sour than he'd expected. Dick smiled at him, eyes bright as he rinsed the capers. 

They finished the sauce and he looked down at the plate. He'd never been exceptionally bad or particularly good at cooking, but this was by far the best thing he'd made. Dick took a picture of it and grinned when he turned and took one of Bruce. “I had to get the chef and his masterpiece.”

They sat down and he waited until Dick had taken the first bite and hummed his approval before taking his own. Apparently Dick had been waiting too, because as soon as he'd taken that bite Dick asked, "So do you want to talk about sucking my dick and not telling Jason you are gay?”

He choked and forced himself to swallow the food. Dick looked a little concerned, but also clearly wanted to know the answer. “I can't be out if I want WE to survive. It's easier to pretend. Jay doesn't get that. I made sure he grew up out of the spotlight and so he doesn't know what it's like to have your every action have consequences that affect more than just you. So he made an assumption, and I didn't correct him.” He looked down at the plate. “It's been too long to tell him now.” 

Dick took another bite as he chewed on Bruce's reply. He could feel those blue eyes watching him, waiting for what he'd probably assumed was disapproval but Dick just chewed trying to figure out exactly what he wanted to say. 

“I'm sorry I brought it up,” Dick told him finally. “Back at the bar. I just assumed Jason knew, and your friends seemed so accepting.” he shrugged. “The way Jay talks about you sometimes-” he stopped himself knowing that Jason wouldn't want him to say exactly what he said about his brother. “He just really admires you is all. And I know it's none if my business, but I don't think he would think of any different.” He paused before adding,” If you wanted to tell him.”

It was Bruce's turn to sit quietly and think about Dick’s words. Both of them picked at their plate in silence. And Dick, being unable to sit anywhere silently for too long, continued, “I came out to Jay my freshman year of college. I meant to do it before but, you know, foster homes.” He shrugged knowing that was an explanation in itself. It was hard enough to be gay in your own home, but as a kid bouncing around the system in Gotham it was almost impossible. So he kept to himself mostly, flirting with the other confused kids in his homes, figuring out how to be okay without anyone else's permission. He could only imagine being in the public eye, everyone constantly watched and counting how many events he went to dateless. “He just shrugged. He does that a lot. And we didn't really talk about it again until I started dating Wally.”

“Jason's roommate Wally?” Bruce asked. 

“He was my boyfriend first, but yeah.” He laughed at the horrified look on Bruce’s face. “We broke up last year. It's fine. If anything you should be more grossed out that I've made out with Jason.” Bruce dropped his fork and Dick laughed. “It was New Year's and we were drunk, his date passed out. Neither of us enjoyed it.” He nodded to the dropped fork and Bruce grabbed it again picking at his food. 

They finished eating in a mostly comfortable silence, Dick sometimes popping in with little stories about what Jason had been up to recently. Jason had never been good at keeping in touch with Bruce, and if the look in his eyes was anything to go off of, Dick could tell he missed his little brother. He helped with the dishes as he waited for his car, the app ringing just as he grabbed his groceries. Bruce walked with him to the entryway and Dick opened the door turning so that his back was to the car and he could fully appreciate the sight of a dressed down Bruce Wayne. “Just so you know,” he told him. “I think that it is a complete crime that you are depriving the world of a beautiful gay man.” 

That forced a grin out of him that lit up his entire body making Dick's skin sing in pleasure. “I'll take a raincheck on the hug,” he quipped as he walked out to the waiting car and the smile immediately turned to a flush as Bruce shut the door. 

-

He thought about Bruce almost every day that week not really sure why or how he'd gotten there. He'd be walking by the supermarket or watching a movie with Barbara and Dinah and suddenly he would be wondering how they would fit in with Clark and Lois or if Bruce had finished his box of Frankenberry. But then the semester started up and his thoughts of Bruce were pushed temporarily off to the side as Dick settled into his new hectic schedule. When he wasn't at school he was at the bar, barely making it home for a shower between shifts and class. The bar was just as busy as ever except for the mid shifts of Wednesday- which meant this was usually the day that Dick crammed all of his homework in on. 

He had his text book propped up by two vodka bottles in front of him as he wiped down the empty bartop, occasionally stopping to scribble something down in his notebook for his essay on cultural diversity. He didn't even realise someone had come in until he heard the barstool pulling out and looked up to see Bruce in front of him smirking. He looked amazing in freshly pressed deep grey suit that made his eyes look like they glowed in the dark. Dick must have been staring at him as stupidly as his brain felt because Bruce's smirk turned into a grin as he told him, “I think you are supposed to ask me what I'd like to drink.” 

“Right,” Dick agreed and shut his notebook, taking his time looking over Bruce again before he asked, “What will it be?” 

“Sazerac?” he asked and Dick nodded trying to remember what Tiger had thought him. It still took him a good three minutes to figure it out and when Bruce took a sip and coughed Dick slid it back and dumped it, trying again. “Why are you a bartender?” he asked without sparing Dick’s feelings weirdly making him laugh. 

“I am poor.” He shrugged, “And Oliver won't fire me because I try really hard and can do tricks and he thinks it looks cool.” 

He set the new drink in front of Bruce who took a very tentative sip. His shoulder relaxed and he took another telling Dick he had done better. “Tricks?” Bruce asked. 

Dick held up a finger and grabbed three bottles holding them between his fingers as he took a step back. One by one he tossed them into the air juggling them easily in both hands and then one as he grabbed the glass of water he had under the bar and took a quick drink before switching back to bother hands and catching them. He gave a little bow and Bruce applauded politely and asked, “Circus?”

Dick grinned and nodded. “You should see what I can do on a tightrope,” he muttered leaning over the bar. For a minute Bruce looked like he just might want to see that-- until Oliver came out of the back in an olive green suit looking flustered. 

“Sorry, I know I'm late,” he told Bruce, tugging him off the stool with the lightest of touches. Oliver kept talking but Dick wasn't paying attention to him, he was watching Bruce. Watching the way that Bruce was watching Oliver like he made the world spin. Oh. He frowned and turned back to the bar wall, setting the bottles back and giving himself a moment to collect himself. He didn't know why he has so surprised. Maybe because Oliver had seemed so eager to push Bruce onto him. But he still managed to smile when Oliver called a goodbye at him as they headed to the door, Bruce barely looking back at him as he followed. 

His mood was shot when he finally got back to the clocktower, taking heavy steps up the endless stairs where he could hear Barbara and Dinah giggling in the living room. They were both on the floor in their pajamas, leaning back against the couch with their feet propped up on the coffee table, nails painted in an array of color. “Dick!” Dinah cheered as he dropped his bag on the kitchen table. “Finally. Come here, I have a new polish I didn't get to try!” 

He groaned and fell onto the couch kicking his shoes off to pass his feet over to her, no fight left in him. “Just the toes this time.”

Barbara frowned up at him. “You are never this agreeable. What's wrong with you?” she asked. He just shrugged and she narrowed her eyes climbing onto the couch next to him. “Nope. No shrugging allowed. Something is wrong.” She poked both his cheeks until he laughed in exasperation and pushed her hands away. 

“It’s stupid.” He shook his head. 

“That means it's a boy,” Dinah said not looking away from the nails that she was carefully coating in midnight blue. 

He looked back at Barbara whose face was a little softer. “Is it a boy?” 

“Yes,” Dick made a face. “Well, and no. Not really? I don't know.” He laughed and leaned his head on Barbara’s shoulder. “I guess, I just thought he liked me. It's stupid.” it was as simple as that. It's not like Bruce had ever said that he liked Dick. They hooked up, they ran into each other and he came to pick up his friend from work. That was it. 

Barbara didn’t reply. Instead she ran a hand through his hair and said, “Di.”

“On it.” she said jumping up to put on Dirty Dancing. 

\---

Bruce was surprised to see Dick when he walked in to Vermillion in the middle of the afternoon. He watched him mumble to himself as he moved around and scribbled notes for a few minutes before approaching the bar. Oliver had texted him that he was running behind so he knew he had time. 

The drink wasn't the worst thing he'd ever tasted, he was friends with Clark after all. The man liked to mix whatever was closest and strongest since he had an insanely high tolerance and apparently no taste buds. He had spit out the first drink Clark had ever made for him, Lois had pat his back while he tried to remember how to breathe. He wondered what a drink competition between Clark and Dick would be like. Someone would probably die. 

As Dick juggled he understood why Oliver kept him on. His eyes were sharp as they watched the bottles, and the uniform shirt showed off every flex of his muscles. Dick leaned in and said, “You should see what I can do on a tightrope.” He wasn't sure why, but he wanted to know what he meant. 

“Sorry, I know I'm late,” Oliver said. He tugged on his elbow and Bruce was pulled away from Dick. He tuned out Oliver's excuses and watched the faint shimmer of his suit under the light. He remembered picking out the suit years ago for Verdant's opening. “Bye,” Oliver called back to Dick. He glanced back. “Do you think Diana is going to bring her new guy?” Oliver drew his attention back. 

“Lois has been begging to meet him for the last month. It is likely.” 

“I'm driving,” Oliver told him heading down the street. He caught his elbow. 

“I brought the Pagani. I'm driving.” Oliver's eyes lit up as he grinned. The valet had stared at the car in awe when he'd stepped out and seemed to dread that he had to hand the keys back to him. “I knew you were going to run late. We can make it up.” 

The drive to Metropolis, speeding down the empty side roads, was one of his favorite things to do. It didn't matter if he was in one of his hypercars, or the Kent's suv with the baby seat in the back. He could just drive. 

They got to the restaurant with a few minutes to spare. Diana was talking to someone outside. She looked up at the noise of the engine and rolled her eyes before smiling. “Do you two ever not make an entrance?” she asked when they walked up. 

“I wanted to drive the Tesla, it was him that brought that beast. I'm Oliver,” he said offering his hand to the man standing behind Diana staring at the car as the valet slid into the driver's seat. 

“Trevor. Steve. Steve Trevor,” he finally got out and shook Oliver's hand. “And you're Bruce Wayne.” He raised an eyebrow to Diana. 

“Steve is in the military.”

“WE provides our body armor and some of the smart weapons. I've heard you speak at a few events.” 

“Well it's nice to meet you, Steve.” He shook his hand. 

“How did you all beat us? We live here!” Lois called. They turned as she dragged Clark down the street. 

“They don't have a child that threw carrot puree and ruined their father's best suit,” he grumbled. They went through introductions again. 

“Mera and Arthur are running late. She said to go ahead and get seated,” Diana reported. “I know Barry and Iris couldn't make it, but Hal was supposed to be here right?” 

“He is picking up John. He said about five minutes,” Oliver offered. 

It was chaos to get them all together, but they tried at least once a month to make it work. Occasionally something came up and one of them couldn't make it, Hal being on the other side of the world, Clark on an assignment, or in Barry and Iris’ case newborn twins. Once Hal and John joined them they all moved inside. 

Conversation revolved around what they were all doing. Clark and Lois talked about Jon and the assignments they were working on. Diana talked about her travels. Her and Hal went back and forth trying to decide what their favorite place was. John talked about cases he'd worked. When Mera and Arthur joined them they talked about their boat and where they were sailing to next. Oliver talked about Vermillion.

“And what have you been up to Bruce?” Mera asked. She pushed Arthur's hand away from the food he was trying to steal. 

“I've just been working.” 

“Arthur, stop it,” she admonished as he popped a bite in his mouth. The conversation moved on and he was grateful. It was strange to him. When they were younger he'd always had to be aware of what he was doing, he'd had to be responsible. He'd been raising a teenager on his own. But now, he felt like their roles were reversed. He was watching his friends get married, have kids, and find their passion in life while he bought toys for kids and tested out each bed in the manor when he got bored. 

“I can't believe they had twins,” Mera commented. 

“Have you seen the pictures?” Bruce asked. Mera made grabby hands when he pulled out his phone. He opened the folder he had of the group's kids and handed it over. She cooed over the pictures showing Diana and Arthur as Lois told them the latest update from Iris. 

“Is this Jon? He's gotten so big.” Mera handed him his phone back as the conversation moved to Jon. 

“You haven't shown me the twins,” Oliver commented quietly while the rest of the table talked. 

“You said Jon looked like a pumpkin,” he answered. “I didn't think you would be interested.” 

“He did,” Oliver insisted. “Show me.” He handed Oliver the phone. Oliver swiped through his face shifting as he took in each image. “I can't believe you want one of these.” He held out a picture of Barry mimicking the wailing Dawn as he held her. He liked the picture. Iris had captioned it with ‘Barry is the best dad’ when she sent it to him. 

“When are you coming back out to the west coast, Ollie?” Hal asked. 

Slowly the night dwindled and they started to go their separate ways. 

“I'm going to go out with Hal. Do you want to come?” Oliver was already taking the steps away from him toward Hal and John. 

“Nah. I have a meeting in the morning.” 

The drive back to Gotham was quiet. 

-

He ate the last bowl of the Frankenberry while standing in front of the sink. The dinner the night before pressing down on him as he chewed on a dry marshmallow. Maybe Lois was right. 

Oliver didn't say anything when he started visiting Vermillion a little more. The bartender knew his drink order and he was sure he was seeing things but he seemed to take joy in watching him drink it. It was hard to tell though, the man's face didn't give much away. He definitely got his job based on merit. 

It took another week before he walked in to see Dick behind the bar. He took a deep breath. “Fuck,” he hissed and walked up to the bar. 

“Oh hey. Waiting for Oliver?” 

“Uh. No. I actually… wanted to see if you wanted to come over again. I still have all those jars of capers.” 

He dropped the glass he had been polishing back onto the bar where it teetered obnoxiously loud until it finally fell onto it’s side and rolled directly off the other side. The shattering sound seems to jolt life back into him. He muttered, “Shit,” through his teeth jumping the bartop to pick it up. He walked Bruce back with a hand on his chest so that he was sitting on the stool away from the glass. Then he kneeled down to gather it. He'd blown his cool, not that he had exactly been mister cool guy before all of this. “You want me to come over?” he asked as he picked up the bigger pieces. 

Bruce cleared his throat. “Yes.” He shifted uncomfortably as Dick looked up at him and tugged on one of his sleeves. 

He couldn't help the little perk of a smile pulling at him, “Tonight?”

Bruce blinked seeming a little startled. “I- yeah.” he finally said again like he had never considered that this could happen on any other day. 

Dick stood up, his bar towel full of glass as he walked around the bar to dispose of it. He could feel those too blue eyes on him waiting for an answer. Was this a friend thing? Bruce had seemed pretty lonely the last time that Dick had come by. Was this him needing to talk to someone? Or was it… he looked him up and down, he was in slacks and a pressed black button up looking like he'd just stepped out of GQ. It was a far cry from the free hugs/ sweats combo he had been wearing a few weeks ago. And the way he was watching Dick… what was this? Dick focused on making the drink Bruce hadn't asked for taking his time to do it like Tiger had shown him and slid it into his hand. He took a careful drink, not breaking the eye contact that Dick had finally surrendered too and blinked in surprise, the tiniest hint of a smile hitting his eyes. 

“Tiger said that he had a regular that he didn't want me to fuck up on.” Dick explained, “You are now the proud owner of the only drink I know how to make.” He bowed. 

“I'm honored,” Bruce grumbled in a soft and warm tone that made Dick's skin want to crawl right off. 

“I didn't take you as an after work cocktails kind of guy.” he said running his shaker through the hot water in the basin.

And this time Bruce didn’t look awkward at all. He leaned over the bartop, still impossibly tall as his electric eyes looked into him. “I'm not,” he said in that same tantalizing voice. “I was looking for you.” 

Dick sucked in a deep breath through his nose trying to keep his cool while also thinking about a thousand miles a minute. This was definitely not a friends thing. No one could look like that and just want someone to come over and talk- but if that was the case then why not Oliver? Of course Dick didn't actually know what their relationship was but he could assume. It wasn't a secret that Oliver Queen liked all kinds, he had straight up told Dick that he was beautiful on more than one occasion. And Bruce was gay. Sure, maybe only a handful of people knew that, but when two beautiful like-minded people were that close it was hard not to cross that friendship line at least a little. The look Bruce had given Oliver the other day had been more than enough to clear that up for Dick and he'd made peace with that. So why had Bruce been looking for him?

He had to physically pull his eyes from Bruce’s chest so that he could look up at his face, clearly having been caught in the act because Bruce grinned at him. And that smile was all that it took for Dick to lose interest in what the reason was. “I get off in an hour,” he told him. “Shawn comes in at six. I could meet you or-”

“I'll wait,” he told him sitting back on the barstool as the door opened and a group of girls came in to offer a distraction. He could still feel Bruce watching him, lighting a candle in his stomach that he was sure would burn all the way down by the end of the night. 

Shawn’s eyes lit up when she saw Bruce at the bar, making Dick wonder if he'd stopped by on her shifts too. Just how many times had Bruce Wayne come to Vermillion looking for him and how many people knew? “I'm taking off, will you be all right with the millions?” he asked motioning to the mostly empty bar. 

“I'll be fine.” She pushed at him to leave. “But I want to know everything,” she hissed under her breath glancing at Bruce as he passed. 

“There is nothing to tell,” he told her hoping that his skin hadn't flushed as he said it. He pulled on his jacket and attempted to make himself look cooler than he was as he walked over to Bruce who had just tucked his phone away. “Ready?” he asked a little out of breath by the way his eyes shined as he watched Dick coming up to him. 

He nodded and left a bill on the countertop even though he had already paid and way over tipped. Bruce grabbed his jacket as they fell into step with each other. It was impossibly quiet as Bruce drove them through the city making Dick's skin squirm in anticipation and unease. He had never done well in silence, but Bruce seemed to find comfort in it. The Manor was just as marveling as it had been the last time they'd driven up to it, looking like a duchess or a queen could walk out at any moment. But Bruce didn't stop at the front, he drove around to the side where he opened the large garage and slid into the open parking spot. “Holy shit,” Dick breathed as he stepped out of the car. There were at least thirty cars in the garage, Ranging from the newest and fastest to classic models he had only seen in shows. 

Bruce chuckled. “You like cars?” he asked. 

Dick nodded running his hand over the hood of a cherry red Chevrolet that was straight out of the 50’s. “My godfather was a mechanic. I used to work at his shop when I was in high school. He would faint if he walked in here.” Dick grinned at him unable to help it. 

“My dad liked cars.” Bruce shrugged looking amused as he watched Dick. “I thought about selling them, but I think he might come back and haunt me.” He mused and Dick jumped a little when he felt two large hands wrap around his waist. He stepped forward and his body was flush with Dick's back, the candle that had been lit in his stomach exploding g in flame. “Do you want to come inside?” he asked into his ear. 

He was tempted to strip and fuck Bruce right there, but he was in it for the long game this time. So he nodded and let Bruce turn him towards the door, keeping his hand on his waist as they walked. 

The Manor was warm and homey which was surprising seeing as it was such a large and vacant place. There were parts that looked colder than others, places that were just for show, but he could see Bruce in the parts that we actually lived in. They made their way through the bottom floor to the kitchen where Bruce helped Dick out of his coat and hung it on the back of a chair. Dick explored the fridge surprised when he saw that it was fully stocked. “You went grocery shopping.” he noted. 

“I didn't want you to think that I only lived off of cereal and strange pickled foods,” Bruce admitted from the other side of the door. 

Dick half-closed it so that he could grin at him. “Bruce, I'm a struggling college student. I would be impressed if that was what you ate all of the time,” he said before going back to the fridge to look for what they would need. He pulled out ingredients at random going off what sounded good in his head. Bruce didn’t question him. He just pulled out a pan and started doing what he was instructed. It was hard for Dick to concentrate on what he was doing when he could feel Bruce standing right next to him but he managed as he put broccoli in the pan with the garlic and caper lemon thing he had been mixing together. 

“What exactly are you making?” Bruce finally asked as the pleasant aroma started to fill the kitchen. 

“No idea,” Dick admitted looking over his shoulder at him. “I'll never be a great cook cause I never actually know what I'm doing. But cooking is easy, you put stuff in until it tastes good. Bartending on the other hand…” he shrugged as he trailed off and Bruce chuckled from behind him, filling Dick with a warm trickle of pleasure. 

About thirty minutes later they were sitting at the table in the same places they had been last time, the salmon still steaming from the oven. Dick took a bite. Not even bothering to pretend that he wasn't watching for Bruce's reaction when he finally relaxed and took a second bite. “You really have to start trusting my cooking skills,” Dick chided him. 

Bruce rolled his eyes, “Next time I promise not to hesitate.” 

Pleasure seized him again at the promise of next time, but it dropped out almost instantly when he remembered why he hadn't thought this would happen again to begin with. He frowned down at his plate for a few minutes let the silence fill the room until he couldn't handle it any longer and he finally said. “Hey, Bruce?” he hummed and looked up at him. Dick swallowed, “Can I, uh, ask you personal question?”

Bruce frowned and put down his fork. “Okay.”

Dick ducked in another deep breath and bounced his legs a few times. “It's just that the other night at the bar, when you left with Oliver. It seemed like there was something there. That you guys were in some sort of a date. And that's cool!” he added quickly as Bruce's frown got deeper. “I'm not expecting anything here, I just thought that maybe there was something there. And if there is… why are you here with me?” 

Silence fell on them again and Bruce stared down at the table. He closed his eyes and opened them. He ran a palm over his face and then finally said. “I have been in love with Oliver for years- but he doesn't know and he doesn't feel the same way.” There was such an intense sadness in Bruce's eyes that Dick forgot to feel hurt by it. “I just… the night that we, at the bar…” Dick nodded telling him he didn't have to continue. “Lois said that this was my first step to getting over him. Find a hot guy, fuck him.” He winced at his own words. “But now I’m just more confused…” He put his head in his hands, “I'm sorry. I know you don't deserve this.” 

But Dick had already gotten out of his chair and was standing in front of him. He peeled Bruce's hands away from his face and looked into his deep and lonely eyes again. Such a beautiful man living all alone, unable to reach out to people because he couldn't be himself. It hit more than one of Dick’s soft spots. So maybe that was why he kissed him. Or maybe Dick just liked kissing beautiful men no matter the circumstance. Maybe he had been thinking about what Bruce's lips had felt like since that night at that bar and just wanted to feel them again. Regardless of the reason, Dick swallowed Bruce's noise of surprise and whispered, “This is the second step,” as he pulled him out if his hair. 

Bruce didn't break the kiss has he stood, Dick having to stand on his toes to follow him, strong hands moving over his back and ass as he walked him back. He let him lead him out of the kitchen, stopping in the entryway as he pushed his back against the wall and broke apart for air. Bruce's lips ran down his neck in a painfully slow scrape of stubble pulling a noise out of Dick that he didn't think he'd ever made before. Bruce pulled back, his expression so different from before that it was startling, all demanding and in control with his pupils blown out enough that even the blue looked almost grey. When he kissed him the next time it was harder, their teeth clashing once as they learned each other's rhythm. Dick gripped at the back of his neck fingers trying to find a hold on something other than skin but it was Bruce who had the advantage and pulled Dick’s hair just hard enough to give him access to his neck again. 

Fuuuck. 

He could hardly breath from the weight pressed against him but when he moved back again Dick let out a whine. Bruce pulled on his hand, panting, “Bed,” as he lead him towards the stairs and Dick followed numb to the world around them as his eyes started to hyper focus on the man in front of him. 

He didn't take in any of the room they stumbled into, his arms already wrapped around Bruce's neck when they stumbled to the large bed. Here Bruce hesitated, some of the bravado he'd had in the kitchen falling back into a self-conscious stupor, but Dick wasn't going to let that happen. He turned Bruce so that he was facing him and pushed him back into the bed, looking down at him as he unbuttoned his shirt and kicked off his shoes. He crawled over him with his shirt hanging open and Bruce sat up to meet him there unable to peel his eyes off of Dick’s chest. He wanted to pull his shirt on and hide. The last time that he’d had his shirt off for anyone but himself had been with Wally after the ad went out and even though he'd said he was fine, Dick had seen the resentment there in the heat of things. But Bruce didn’t look resentful, his hands pushed the shirt off Dick's shoulders and down to his elbows, pulling him in by his arms to trace his collarbone with his tongue. 

Dick groaned and Bruce sucked in a hard breath as Dick shoved him back down to the bed and slipped his shirt completely off. He worked Bruce's buttons, popped them one by one with his thumb as his other palm pressed into Bruce's crotch that was straining painfully against his pants. Then he took both his hands and pulled his slacks open to let him fall out. Bruce was huge, unsurprisingly so seeing how he was a big guy in general- but it was still shocking and seemed to have its own gravitational pull drawing him in. Dick licked his lips placed them hesitantly on the head, looking up at him. Bruce looked he was about to bite his bottom lip off, so he pressed further taking as much of him in as he could. He was a little more than halfway in when he felt him hitting the back of his throat and Bruce gasped at the pressure of it. Dick came off of him and started again, this time swallowing when he reached the back until he went further. He did this again and again until a steady stream of ‘fucks’ were running out of Bruce's mouth and his eyes were watering as his lips hit the base of him. A few more times and Bruce grabbed him by the hair, pulling him off of him as he sat up, breathing like he run a marathon. “I… wait,” he begged him, his eyes screwed shut. “I don't want to…” 

Dick nodded knowing that he couldn't see him and kissed him again, crawling his way back up and Bruce fell back into the blanket. They kissed for minutes or hours- Dick honestly had no idea. And when Bruce calmed down enough to open his eyes again they were oozing with lust and primal intent. 

He flipped them in a strong fluid movement, mouth on his jaw, pushing his chin up as he ripped off Dick's belt and forced down his pants. He palmed him as he pulled off, reaching over to the bedside table to fish around in the top drawer pulling out a small bottle of lube that he quickly wet his fingers with. Still the first one was a surprise. But the second one, “Fuck! Bruce!” he groaned out and lips crashed into his again as his fingers were removed and something bigger pressed into him. 

 

The first trust was slow, taking the breath out of him while Bruce muttered nothings into his ear. Telling him how beautiful he was, how sexy he was, how fucking good he felt. The second thrust forced a cry out of him and the third- he had never felt so full. Bruce didn’t fuck him, he cherished him, rubbing circles into his skin as he stroked in and out of him, praising him, loving him- or at least this moment with him. And as he came, Dick couldn't help but wonder who in their right mind could ever not love Bruce back.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have story requests, questions or just want to say hello-- follow DNA and I on twitter at [@PBrubbs](https://twitter.com/PBrubbs) and [@Dnawhite51](https://twitter.com/Dnawhite51) and see the process of our day to day writing frustrations.


	3. Chapter 3

He hadn't had sex with anyone other than Oliver in a long time. He expected it to be awkward once they caught their breath, but it wasn't. When he looked over to check on Dick he saw him smiling at the ceiling. He must have felt his eyes on him because he turned his head and the smile brightened as he looked at him. Dick laughed before telling him ‘good job’. Dick's stomach growled, echoing around the room and brightening Dick's laughter. They reheated their food and finished eating. Dick carrying the conversation as he had before.

The next night they drove through the hills outside the city and Bruce found out just how flexible Dick was when he managed to crawl into his lap in the Ferrari. They made out parked on a hill overlooking the city. He laughed against Dick's neck when his elbow hit the horn and it broke the heated silence of the car.

Dick had work the night after that. He'd told him between kisses on his way out the door.

He texted Dick a picture of a video game and a tangle of cables a few nights after that. He needed to test out a game for the Center. The kids had been asking for it, but he had to make sure it was appropriate.

Dick showed up in jeans and a Gotham Knights hoodie. He pushed past him and headed toward the den. He looked over his shoulder as if to say come on, when he stood frozen staring after him.

“You have wireless controllers. Where did you even get all of those cables?”

Dick turned on the console and it immediately turned on. He got a suspicious glare.

“Pretending to need help. Pretty sneaky sis,” Dick said and tossed Bruce one of the controllers. They spent the night battling and eating the pizza he ordered a few hours later.

It was late when Dick gave up with a yawn. “You could stay,” he offered. His heart hammered in his chest, and he added “I have plenty of rooms if you don't want to stay with me.”

“I've had daydreams about sleeping in your bed. It's like a cloud,” Dick muttered. He knew nothing of his would fit and headed up to Jason's old room. Dick looked around as Bruce went through the drawers for a pair that would fit.

“Oh wow. This is like a time capsule. Snapshot of 18 year old Jason.” Dick looked at some concert tickets and knick knacks sitting on Jason's desk.

“Why haven't you packed any of this up?” Dick asked laughing at something he had found.

“It's Jay's. Plus sometimes I like looking back at how it was before I ran him off. Here.” He handed him the pants and tee before walking out of the room.

Dick was spread out on his bed when he had finished getting ready for bed. He looked up at Bruce and smiled. “This is better than I could have imagined. How is it so soft?”

He climbed into the bed instead of answering. Dick leaned into the kiss.

-

The shower was meant to be quick, Dick had class in an hour. They had eaten a lot of that time when Dick asked for the reason they were walking across the manor to shower. Dick had talked about the waterfall shower and how much he'd been wanting to try one out for most of the walk. But once he stepped into the shower and the water ran down Dick's back his teasing grin had faded, replaced by a look of bliss.

“Okay. I get it. This is like your bed, but in shower form,” Dick muttered and pulled him in. They kissed when he was done washing Dick's hair but before he had even reached for the shampoo Dick was slipping to his knees. Bruce's back blocked the water, but droplets still clung to his eyelashes when Dick looked up at him. He closed his eyes and his fingers slipped against the wet tile as Dick swallowed around him. He ran his fingers through Dick's hair and opened his mouth to tell him what he looked like when a gush of cold air shifted the shower curtain.

“Are you avoiding me?” Oliver asked.

Dick pulled off and he bit back a groan. Dick's eyes were wide as he stared at the shower curtain. The only thing between him and his boss.

“No,” he said clearing his throat.

“Are you sure? I haven't seen you in a week.”

“Yes, Ollie. I'm sure I'm not avoiding you.” He stuck his head out of the curtain. He knew that if he didn't show his face Oliver would wonder why. “Can you hand me that?”

He turned off the water and glanced down to Dick who was still sitting on the floor. Eyes locked on the curtain. He took the towel when Oliver handed it to him. “I'm heading back to Seattle for a week or so to check on Verdant. There's an issue with the GM or an issue with the building. I don't know. I thought we could hang out before I left. Have you been working out again?”

“You know that technology has evolved and there are these devices that you can use to contact your friends. Not that I don't love this Guerilla friendship thing,” he deadpanned and Oliver laughed. “What are we doing?”

“There is a show at the Clocktower.” He glanced to the shower curtain. Dick had invited him that morning. One of his roommates was performing. They'd gotten distracted before he could give his answer.

“Yeah?”

“Half of my bartenders requested off for it.” Oliver followed him out of the bathroom. He was grateful that he wasn't paying attention to the stack of clothes sitting on the counter. “Seriously though. You're working out again.” Oliver's hands flowed over his shoulders and down his arms.

“I've been bored. I have the gym I might as well use it.” He laughed when it got harder to walk as Oliver pulled on him more and more. He managed to keep the towel on until they got to the bedroom.

-

Oliver had to go in, to check on something and he hung out at the bar. The girl with the blue hair was behind the bar flipping a sharpie up into the air and catching it. He looked to make sure that Oliver was still in his office before catching her attention. “You know Dick right?”

She nodded before adding, “Not as well as you.”

He frowned at her before sliding Dick's phone across the bar. “Can you give this to him?”

She took the phone. Her eyes flicking behind him. “Hey boss. How's your day?”

“It's great so far. Maybe I'll run into you tonight.”

The Clocktower was a deceptive venue. Originally it had been a speakeasy in the actual clocktower during prohibition, but when alcohol flowed back into the county the organizers moved it into the warehouse across the street. They kept the name in honor of the history and the actual clock tower guarding their front door. He hadn't been since before he could legally drink. Oliver talked with one of the managers while they waited for the acts to start. He kept his eyes on the crowd looking for Dick. He needed to apologize.

“Now that is one pretty bird,” Oliver whispered to him as the band stepped out onto the stage. He had seen the look in Oliver's eyes before too many times. The look that said ‘I've found my soulmate, or at least the one for tonight.’ He looked up as the singer let out a wail, silencing the crowd. Oliver was entranced as she sang. Bruce left to get a drink and he didn't notice he had gone. He finished a few drinks knowing that he'd need it to get through the night of wingmanning for Oliver.

“That tastes like shit.”

He glanced over and was surprised to see the bartender from Vermillion. The one who made the best drinks he'd ever had. “It does,” he agreed.

“Then why are you drinking it?”

“Many, many reasons.” He saw the twitch of a grin.

“Tony, Tony, Tony. You can't run away like that,” Dick sang as he swung around ‘Tony's’ arms. “Oh hey B.” Dick froze a second later and apparently forgot he wasn't standing on his feet because he dropped to the ground. “That hurt,” Dick whined rubbing his nose. “Please tell me no one saw that.”

“No one saw that,” Tony replied drily.

\---

Tiger waved the bartender down as Dick finished his fourth beer to signal another round. Dick didn't drink. He hadn't since he was a kid and one of his foster siblings snuck him into a bar. He had spent the entire night flirting with the cute a girl pouring drinks and she'd slipped him some beer under the bar. It had been horrible and he decided right then and there that he would never drink again-- at least not until he saw Oliver flirting Bruce down the hallway that morning, literally stealing the dick out of his mouth.

“I can't believe he just left me there,” he whined at Barbara his words already slurring together as the new beer was placed in his hands. He had just finished telling her the whole story. The snuggling, the playing games- Bruce leaving him naked in the shower to go fuck his best friend in the next room. On the bed they had just crawled out of together. After cuddling. All night.

Barbara took the shot and put her hands on either side of his face. “Do you want me to tell you the truth?” she asked him, her eyes soft and ready to lie if he wanted.

“Yes.” Tiger answered for him stacking the shot glasses for the bartender.

Barbara nodded and let her eyes harden. “He's not good enough for you, and that totally sucks.” His heart clenched and he reached up to grab at it making her frown harder at him. “I'll kill him if you want me too,” she promised quickly to make him stop.

“Who are you killing?” Jason had just struggled through the crowd to get to the bar looking harassed and grumpy as usual.

“Go away devil spawn,” Barbara growled at him. They had only met once when Dick was moving in and it hasn't exactly gone well. Jason had somehow manage to knock Barbara's laptop off the coffee table when he was going through boxes and even though it was in a case and totally fine- the resulting fight had been loud enough that the neighbors had called the police and a war had broken out between them. “This is girl talk, no grody jerkface boys allowed.”

Jason looked at Tiger who looked as bored and put out as ever and back at Barbara. Dick knew that he would love nothing more than to point out just how sexist that was and ask why Tiger was there- but he managed to keep it in, addressing Dick directly. “I've been texting you all day, I thought you might have died or something.”

“Oh.” Dick frowned and the misery hit him all over again. He knew exactly where he had left his phone. On Bruce's bedside table. He had left it there fully expecting that he would be able to go back for it after the shower. He had no idea he would be leaving with wet hair in his socks after hearing gasping outside the door. Not that he could tell any of this to Jason. “I lost my phone last night. Probably fell under the bed or somethin’.” He shrugged  because that what you did when you were _playing it cool_.

“Well send me a pigeon next time,” he grunted and pushed him looking peeved.

Dick grinned at him. “Were you worried about me?” he asked booping his nose.

Jason caught his hand. “I am now… how much did you let him drink?” He demanded. Barbara looked affronted and they were already deep into a new argument.

Tiger gave him a small cup of bar pretzels that he finished in two bites and then he pulled Dick off the barstool and pushed him towards the crowd away from the more and more heated argument. Dick danced not knowing who he was dancing with, just moving with the way that the world was tilting around him. He screamed when the music changed over and Dinah came storming out like a goddess. He jumped just high enough for her to see him and grinned and Dick felt like he'd won the lottery. He danced against who he thought was Tiger, but when he turned around he couldn't find him. He pushed through the crowd back towards the bar where Tiger was talking to someone. He snaked around him, “Tony, Tony, Tony. You can't run away like that,” he sing-songed at him and turned to introduce himself to whoever he was talking to. His heart dropped. “Oh, hey B,” he said before the nerves set in and he lost his grip on Tiger and fell to the ground. His nose hurt from where it hit Tiger's elbow and he held it saying, “Ow. That hurt. Please tell me no one saw that,” as Tiger pulled him back up.

“No one saw that,” Tiger droned and handed him another shot.

“I'll take that.” Jason had somehow shown up next to him reaching for the shot that Dick had already downed and cursed. “Dude, take it easy. You haven't drank this much since...ever.” He hissed at Dick and glared at Tiger. “No more liquor.” Tiger just took his own shot unimpressed.

“I'm fine!” Dick said too loudly in his ear. Maybe hoping that Bruce would hear it and know that he hadn't affected him even though he totally had. “Let's dance!” he grinned at him. Jason looked like he wanted to say no but let Dick pull him out to the floor and bounce the hurt feelings right out of him.

After a few minutes, Jason started to actually have fun. They were playing a cover of an angsty song that they used to listen to freshman year and they took turns screaming the lyrics at each other. When the song ended Dick was starting to feel seriously dizzy and Jason helped him back to the bar to sit down. Bruce was still there but this time Oliver was next to him, whispering something in his ear and Bruce smiled. It was hard not to feel resentful.

Jason put a water bottle in his hand and he made a face. “Drink it,” he ordered, no buts in his tone. Dick took a long pull of the water as Jason watched him and then put it back down at the bar when he turned to greet Roy who had just found his way in.

Dinah's set was over. She showed up through the wall of people and Dick jumped out of his chair to hug her off of her feet. “You were amazing!” he told her and she squealed as he spun her around.

She grinned and punched Dick on the arm. “Don't make me turn you straight,” she warned him and stole the rest of his water.

“Or you could just settle for me?” They both looked over at Oliver, who was now directly next to them grinning at Dinah like she was the star on a Christmas tree. “Oliver Queen,” he said holding his hand out for her. She just stared at it for a minute and he lost some of his nerve. “I'm...a.. already straight.”

She smirked at that looking him up and down, “Good to know,” she said and then turned her back to continue talking to Dick. He watched Oliver turn back to Bruce and Bruce turn him back around and push him forward.

“Your voice is amazing!” he said over the roar of the next band.

Dinah turned to look at him again crossing her arms. “Thanks,” she said curtly. “Anything else?”

Oliver made eye contact with Dick begging for help. Dick couldn't think of a single person he wanted to help less. He caught Bruce's eye but looked away before he could see anything there that he didn't want to. And he couldn't help it. He couldn't watch this struggle. “D, Oliver is my boss at Vermillion,” he told her. Dinah turned to him, her eyes wide in question already knowing the story. He nodded his okay, “You can be nice. It’s okay.” And after a moment her entire demeanor changed.

She grabbed Oliver's arm and pulled him in. “So you gonna buy me a drink or what?” he asked and pulled him to the other end of the bar leaving Dick and Bruce alone.

The silence between them was uncomfortable so he flagged down the bartender. “Sorry,” he said when they both had new drinks. He looked over to where Dinah was running her hands down Oliver's chest. “That… sucks.”

Bruce didn't look over at them, “Look, Dick-”

“Nope,” he told him popping the p. “I don’t wanna hear it.” He drank and looked around for Barbara or Jason.

“Dick-” he tried again.

But someone grabbed Dick's elbow and he turned to see Wally smiling at him like he was the only person that he wanted to see. “There you are!” he said like he had finished an epic quest. “I've been looking for you for an hour,” he told him and saw Bruce standing next to him, looking at Wally like he wished he was anyone else. “Oh, hey Bruce!” he said completely unphased. He looked back at Dick, “I didn't know you guys knew each other.”

“Oh we're great friends,” Dick told Wally but kept his eyes on Bruce. “Besties in facts,” he slurred. “Closer than two hands... on the same person.”

Wally frowned at him. “Are you drunk?”

“Yes,” he said curtly meaning to say no.

Wally sighed, “Okay.” He took the drink out of his hand and set it back on the bar top. He pulled Dick out of his chair and he swayed on his feet, his knees not wanting to support him anymore. Bruce caught his other side and Dick let out a hard laugh thinking about the odds that this would have ever happened as Wally directed them back toward the clock tower.

“I don't think we are supposed to be in here…” Bruce said as they opened the side of the tower.

Dick blew a raspberry at the floor. “I live here,” he said tilting his head onto Bruce’s shoulder as the world started to sway again. “So many stairs…” he groaned as they started up. It took them what felt like a year to get to the top but when they finally burst into the living room, Dick was hardly hanging in there.

“Where is your room, babe?” Wally asked and Dick nodded towards the hall, shaking his head till they got to the right door. They got him into bed and he heard Wally mutter that he was going to go find some advil and water for him before leaving him alone with Bruce.

He pulled off his shoes and helped him get under the covers. Dick felt one of his large hands push his hair out of his face. He smiled his eyes already closed and not ready to open ever again. “I'm sorry,” Bruce muttered and Dick hummed as he drifted off, the warmth of Bruce's hand still on his head where he could almost pretend he would stay.

-

He felt like he was dying when he woke up the next morning. A glass of water and four advil had been left on his bedside table with a note that said “Drink me.” He would have laughed if he didnt feel so miserable. He shoved himself up and took the pills all at once, chugging the water before he made himself go take a shower.

“You’re alive.” Jason smirked as he slumped into the kitchen and crawled into the countertop, accepting the coffee handed to him. Jason was half dressed and making what looked like crepes. The smell was both wonderful and revolting. But mostly he was just confused.

“You don't live here.”

Jason snorted. “Wow, thanks asshole,” he said pouring the batter.

“Why are you here?” Dick asked unperturbed, his coffee all but forgotten. He didn't have to answer. Because right then Barbara stumbled out of his room looking trussed up and thoroughly fucked. She grinned at Jason and stole Dick's coffee, shock keeping him from protesting. “No fucking way…” he said.

“Way.” Jason smirked handing him another coffee.

“I'm surprised you didn't hear them.” Dinah yawned taking Dick’s new cup of coffee before she sat down on the opposite counter. “It was like listening to a lion fight on the discovery channel.” Jason and Barbara highfived and Dick's stomach turned. He had no idea how this had happened. One moment he had been taking shot with Barbara complaining about Bruce and the next-

“What smells amazing?” Oliver came walking in from Dinah's room in nothing but his underwear.

The night came rushing back to him and Dick slid off the counter. “I'm going to puke,” he announced to the room and went to go lay down on the bathroom floor.

-

Dick barely managed to pull himself together by the time he had to go to work, the subway bumping a little queasiness back into him. He was sipping on a club soda when Shawn came in and looked him over with a smirk.

“Long night?” she asked. He  made a noise at her in response and she laughed digging through her purse. “Tall, dark, and handsome came by yesterday,” she told him handing over his phone. “Asked me to give you this.” She didn't say anything else but the look she shot him said she would expect details later. She went to put her bag away and he pressed the home button on his phone. Of course it was dead. He put it in his pocket and focused on getting through his shift without throwing up.

-

He plugged his phone in when he got home and as soon as it turned on his notifications went crazy. He had about twenty text messages, three were from Jason asking where he was. He heard Barbara giggle though the shared wall of their bedrooms and his stomach turned as he exited the chat. There were two from Wally saying that he had made it to the Clocktower and asking where he was hiding. And then two from this morning asking how he was feeling and to give him a call.

His thumb hesitated over the call button but he had more messages to look at and all of them were from Bruce.

 **BW:** Please don't hate me.

 **BW:** I had no idea Oliver was coming over. I panicked.

 **BW:** Dick please.

 **BW:** Just talk to me, please let me explain.

 **BW:** Tell me I didn't ruin… whatever this is.

There were about ten more like this until around 2pm yesterday.

 **BW:** I found your phone on the bedside table and left it with one of the bartenders at Vermillion. Please call me when you get it back.

And then there was one for this morning.

 **BW:** I'm probably the last person you want to talk to right now. I just want to know if you are feeling okay. Call me?

Dick groaned and put his head in his hands. His heart hurt. It was just so unfair that Bruce was a good guy. Dick actually felt guilty for talking to Dinah when he knew how much Bruce must be hating that Oliver was out with someone else. But he shouldn’t. If it were anyone else he wouldn't feel guilty at all. But it wasn’t just anyone else. It was Bruce.

He hit dial.

Wally answered on the second ring, “Hey you.” He could hear the smile in his voice that warmed him up. “Glad to see you are still alive.”

“Just barely.” Dick laughed but it died off fast. “I just wanted to say thanks for tucking me in last night. You really didn't have to.”

“I love tucking you in,” he said and Dick knew that he meant it. But Wally didn't stay on the uncomfortable reminder of their past, “You want to talk about what drove you to the bottle last night?”

He swallowed hard as he heard Oliver groan through Dinah's side of the wall and shook his head. “Not really.” he told him. “I didn't try to jump you or anything did I?”

Wally laughed, “I wish.”

\--- 

“I heard you went to Central City yesterday.” Bruce didn't bother looking up at Clark's voice. Instead he kept his eyes on Jon who pressed a puzzle piece into the wrong space. He turned it and let Jon push as hard as he could.

“You said you had a playdate,” he mumbled.

“So you decided you'd fly to Central City?”

“I wanted to visit my godchildren.” Jon urged him on with a short yell. “I know. You're my favorite though.” He handed Jon the next piece and kept him from sticking it in his mouth. 

“Tomorrow are you going to create a raft and sail out to see AJ?”

“No,” he scoffed and made a face at Jon. Jon giggled at him, in total agreement that his dad was silly. “They are in Florida right now.”

“Bruce!” He looked up to where Clark was frowning down at him. “What's going on with you? I thought it was Oliver going to Seattle, but he got back two days ago. Is there something you're not telling me?”

“No,” he said and turned back to Jon who had forced the piece where he wanted it to go. He handed him the next piece and applauded his creative use of space.

“No. Nope. I'm withdrawing baby privileges until you tell me what's going on.” Clark picked Jon up, much to Jon's displeasure. He snickered when Jon slapped the piece against Clark's face, ruining the stern front his dad was trying to put on.

“I wonder when the next flight to Miami is,” he pondered.

“No! I have the superior child. It won't be the same playing with that one. Thinking he's so special cause he can form sentences.” Jon babbled and smacked Clark a few more times.

“You're jealous of a three year old,” he pointed out and patted Clark on the shoulder as he passed him. “Plus Central City is closer and there are two of them.”

“It's the blonde on his Instagram isn't it?” He hesitated. Maybe at first it had been the blonde, Dinah. He wished that he could dislike her, but she had stripped Oliver to the bone that night at the Watchtower, pushing aside all of his bluster and bravado. By the end of the night she had actually seemed interested in him, not the Queen name.

“You're getting warmer.”

“I don't know how you can still love him.” He missed the top step and stumbled down to the landing. Jon was cheering from his perch in Clark's arms. “I'm sorry. I didn't know that you'd react like that. Are you okay?”

He climbed back to his feet and nodded before rushing down the rest of the stairs. Clark was right behind him and snatched his keys before he could reach them. He should have gone for the keys, then the jacket.

“Lois told you?” he asked.

“No. You look at him like Arthur looks at Mera.”

“Oh fuck,” he hissed and slumped onto one of the stools at the counter. “That obvious?"

“Not obvious enough that Ollie's noticed,” Clark offered and handed him Jon.

He huffed out a laugh. “That's the story of my entire life. Obvious except to the people that should know.”

“Why don't you tell them then?”

“Oliver doesn't- He doesn't love me. Not like that,” he added when Clark started to dispute it.

“How long have you been-?” Clark waved a hand around in the air to symbolize sex, or something like it. “You don't stick with one person for that long if you don't have feelings.”

“It hasn't been one person this whole time. Maybe for me, well for the most part, but for him there have been others. People he's loved. I'm just convenient when there isn't someone else.”

Clark's eyes narrowed. He got the sudden urge to duck out of his line of sight. “He say that?”

“Not those exact words.”

“I should have fucking decked him when he hit on Lois freshman year. The only reason I didn't was because I liked you. Invent me a time machine so I can go back and punch him for hitting on my future wife and for making you feel like you're just _convenient_.” Clark said the last word like it was a slur.

Jon whined and he bounced him while Clark moved around the kitchen gathering food.

“If it's not Ollie, then what is eating at you?”

“I met someone?”

Clark's face lit up and he asked, “Like an actual someone? Not one of Oliver's ‘soulmates’?”

“I thought it could be something? But I fucked up, and he's not talking to me anymore. I deserve that. No really. I do.” Clark made a face at him as he took Jon and set him in his highchair. “It's just taking me longer than I thought to get over it. I'll be fine though.”

Clark let him put Jon to bed because the kid was a monster most nights. He had hoped that that night would be one of the bad nights, but Jon conked out as soon as he put him in the crib. “You were supposed to stay up later so I didn't have to go home yet. We talked about this,” he whispered to Jon and set his stuffed monkey next to him.

He grabbed his keys from Clark's outstretched hand. He was typing with the other and didn't look up when he said, “Drive safe.”

“Night. I'll try not to bother you guys for a while.”

Clark did look up at that. “You're not. Come play with my kid all you want, just tell us what's going on. Okay?”

He shrugged.

-

He threw out the rest of the capers. Then felt bad for wasting food and spent the rest of the week making every recipe he could that had capers in it. The women at the center and everyone at WE were impressed with the stacks of Tupperware that he brought with him. He tried not to go to Metropolis. He was an adult, he needed to deal with his problems. But the simple joy of the laughing toddler drew him a few more nights.

“The best babysitter in the world has arrived. Where is my charge?”

“He's upstairs,” Clark said with an odd look.

“You don't look dressed to go out,” he commented heading up the stairs. He stopped in the doorway watching Jon shriek in laughter as he was flown around the room by the one person Bruce come to forget about. Lois looked up and he darted back into the hallway poking Clark in the chest.  “What did you do?”

“It was Lois’ idea?” Clark offered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have story requests, questions or just want to say hello-- follow DNA and I on twitter at [@PBrubbs](https://twitter.com/PBrubbs) and [@Dnawhite51](https://twitter.com/Dnawhite51) and see the process of our day to day writing frustrations.


	4. Chapter 4

Dick wasn't fine.

He hadn't slept a full night in nearly two weeks. When Jason and Barbara weren't screaming at each other through the walls they were screaming through pillows and biting and… so many other gross things that Dick didn't want to know about but now did. And when it wasn't them, it was Dinah and Oliver, and Oliver was a laugher. He laughed at everything, every touch and every bite. He fucking laughed and all Dick could think about was Bruce laughing into his neck in the car at the top of Gotham and his night would be ruined in an entirely new way. He had dreams, vivid awesome sex dreams about where Bruce would worship him, only to wake up and be completely alone again. And as if this couldn't get worse than that, Jason had decided that he was going to be Wally's wingman.

“Wally asked about you yesterday,” he mentioned casually as he was making dinner on Thursday night. Dick was studying at the kitchen table, scribbling away on an essay he had due the next morning. He thought that this would be the perfect excuse not to reply but Jason wasn't having that. He jumped when he was hit on the forehead by a raw green bean.

“Hey-” he grumbled grumpily.

“Are you listening to me?” Jason demanded waving his wooden spoon at him so that he looked comically like a grandmother.

“I'm writing any essay,” he told him for the fifth time. “If you give me twenty minutes I'll-” Another green bean hit him in the head. Dick frowned, shutting his essay in his text book to give Jason his utmost and aggravated attention. “What?”

“Wally asked me about you yesterday,” he repeated looking back at his stir fry.

“Asked what about me?” he asked playing thick and earning a glare from his best friend.

“He said you guys talked the other night after the concert. Wanted to know of you were seeing anyone. He asked about my brother,” Jason snorted like that was the most ridiculous thing he'd ever heard of, “Apparently Bruce was all too ready to help you into bed. I had to explain to the poor bastard that that's just what my brother does.” Luckily the timer went off and he didn't hear Dick snap his pencil in half

“Yeah,” he laughed uncomfortably, shoving the broken pencil into his pocket. “Right. Just what he does.” He cleared his throat and watched Jason pull the chicken out of the oven. “Have you, uh, talked to your brother recently?”

“Why?” Jason asked making a face.

Dick shrugged. “Just curious,” he mumbled as guilt pulled at his chest again. He hadn't called Bruce after the fiasco at the Clocktower. He hadn't texted him and he hadn't seen him. It wasn't like he didn't think about it. About calling him, about going to the manor every time Dinah was getting ready to go out or when Oliver came to pick her up. He was sure that Bruce needed someone to talk to. And even though Dick knew that it wasn't his responsibility, he still felt responsible and wondered if he was okay.

“Anyway,” Jason sighed and turned off the oven. “Wally was jealous. I think he’s finally starting to realize what an idiot he is for dumping you over that stupid ad.” He grinned like it was a good thing but then frowned at Dick. “You want to get back with him right?”

Dick shrugged and rubbed at his eyes. Sure, he used to think about it more often than he was proud of. But he had been so occupied with school and the reminder of his most embarrassing moment ever constantly parading around the house that he hadn't thought much about Wally at all. “I don’t know,” he admitted.

“Well I do,” Jason told him easily. “You guys were great together.” Luckily food called everyone in and they didn't have to talk about it anymore.

Dick barely managed to finish his essay before he had to get ready for his shift, skipping through the doors right on time. It was painfully slow at Vermillion, there was a carnival on the other side of town for the weekend so most everyone was out enjoying the time with their families. He was more than a little surprised to see Bruce’s friend Lois at the bar sipping on a gin and tonic. She looked relieved when she noticed Dick walk in. She waved with a hesitant smile and he walked over to greet her. “Nice to see you again, Lois?” he asked to make sure. She smiled and nodded at him still looking a little nervous. She downed the rest of her drink and Dick frowned at her. “Is everything okay?”

“Actually, no,” she told him and took a deep breath. “And please don't get weirded out, but I've been waiting for you.” Dick didn't say anything so she continued. “Bruce has been a good friend of mine for a very long time. He is the absolute best person I've ever met and he has the biggest heart and great intentions… he just sometimes doesn't have the wherewithal to know what to do with them. That night when we met at the bar, I was trying to help Bruce move on. I had no idea he would actually go through with it- but he did. Because he saw you. Because you are different, I think.”

Dick crossed his arms and really looked at Lois wondering if she had come all this way just to tell him that Bruce was an idiot. “Did he tell you what happened?”

Lois shook her head. “No. But he has been coming over every night for the past week to frown at my baby,” she told him. “Look, Dick, I don’t know what happened. But Bruce knows that he has fucked up. I have never seen him look so miserable in his life. And I know that you don’t know me very well, but I know Bruce. And he likes you.” She stood up and fished in her purse, grabbing a business card and handing it to Dick. “Clark and I would love if you came to dinner tomorrow. Just us and I'm sure Bruce will show up. Around six?” She smiled and didn't wait for an answer as she leaned over the bar and kissed his cheek before she disappeared.

-

This was stupid.

He drove Jason's truck through the light traffic of Metropolis wondering if it was too late to turn back and hide in his bed until morning. He had thought about it. All night he'd thought about not coming. About just going out with Jason, Barbara and Wally and taking the easy way out. But Dick’s heart told him that that wasn't an option, and when Jason said he could borrow his truck he couldn't find a reason not too.

The Kents lived in the suburbs right outside of the city in a neighborhood filled with children running around. There were only two cars in the driveway when he pulled up and shut off the car looking at himself in the rearview. He fiddled with a thread at the sleeve of his sweater. It was the sweater he wore for most nice occasions. Not the fancy ones, just the informal ones where he wanted to make a good impression. He felt stupid for wearing it now, almost as stupid as he felt for coming here trying to impress people he had already met. And for what?

He stepped out of the car anyway and walked the twenty six steps up the path to their front door and knocked before he could gather his sense and leave. Clark answered the door, smiling when he saw it was Dick and opened it wide.

“Oh thank god,” he breathed and pulled him in by his arms. “I thought it was going to be some rando with a bad goatee.” He closed the door and led Dick to the kitchen where Lois was cooking. “Honey, why didn't you tell me it was Dick?”

Lois smiled warmly at him, the relief evident on her face as she turned to her husband. “I didn't want you to scare him off,” she told her husband as she took her apron off and passed it to Clark. “You take over,” she told him and grabbed Dick’s hand. “C’mon, I'll give you the tour.”

Clark and Lois had a magazine house. That's what they called in when he was growing up in foster care. That was always the goal, to land a family that looked like they belonged in a magazine- but none of those families had ever wanted Dick. It was strange being so welcomed into this home, shown around by someone who actually wanted him there. She walked him through the upstairs hall, stopping at pictures to tell him stories and by the time they got to the nursery, the unease had just about been knocked out of him. “And this is Jon,” Lois smiled brightly at the tiny blue eyed baby clone of her husband. She grabbed him out of his play pen and offered him over to Dick who was pretty sure had just started floating. “Jon, this is Dick,” she told the baby and he blew a spit bubble as he made grabby hands for him.

Dick babbled at Jon for longer than was probably acceptable, flying him through the air like a plane and laughing when Jon made monster noises. “He likes you.” Lois clapped delightedly.

Dick grinned and put Jon back on his hip as the baby giggled. “I like him too.” He booped his nose making him laugh again. They could hear a grumbled conversation in the hallway and without hesitation, Lois grabbed Dick's arm and pulled him out of the room to see Clark and Bruce in an intense conversation in the hallway. “Bruce!” Lois practically sang, “Great, meet Jon's new friend.”

Bruce looked like he wanted to do anything but that, looking at Dick like he might vomit of he was forced to any longer. The small moment of baby joy slipped out of him as the reality of what tonight actually was hit him hard in the chest. “You had no idea I was coming did you?” he asked. And when Bruce shook his head Lois let out a nervous laugh and told them all to come downstairs and get comfortable.

Jon pulled at Dick's hair as he followed Bruce and the Kents down, trying to think of the best way out of this increasingly awkward situation. The longer he was here the harder it would be to leave. Maybe he could fake an illness. Or text Barbara and ask her to fake an emergency… but then she might tell Jason. Maybe Shawn-- but she would be too busy trying to get information out of him to help and Tiger would flat out refuse. He accepted the glass of wine that was handed to him but on remembering the last drink he’d had in front of Bruce he knew he wouldn't touch it and resigned himself to holding it for the rest of the night. He decided that it would be best to try and make conversation with Lois and Clark, but almost immediately, Clark asked Lois to talk in the pantry and Dick and Bruce were left alone with only a baby between them.

Dick put his glass of wine down on a nearby cabinet and focused intently on Jon having absolutely no idea how to even attempt to talk to Bruce. He tried to wait it out, thinking maybe the Kents would come back, but after a few minutes of silence Bruce finally took pity on him. “You look better,” Bruce started and then immediately went ashen faced and palmed his head. “Not that you ever look bad- you just… last time I saw you-”

“I was shit-faced.” Dick nodded pressing his lips together. “Yep. This is uncomfortable.” Bruce took a drink of his wine and looked around the room like he was reaching for some kind of conversation point that wasn't what they should be talking about, but there just wasn't anything to break the tension.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Bruce asked awkwardly.

“About you leaving me mid blow job to fuck my boss?” Dick snapped and then instantly regretted that. “Okay, sorry. No, I don't want to talk about it. Or I do, but not here?” He looked back at the kitchen and then back at Bruce, the embarrassment finally settling in. He knew his face was red. He knew how stupid he looked and he knew that he should not have come here. “I'm sorry, Lois made it seem like you… well I wouldn't have come if I knew you didn't know.” He offered Jon up to Bruce who took him looking like he had a thousand things he wanted to say, but Dick wasn't in the right place to hear him. “Look, I'm just going to go.”

“Dick, wait a second.”

“No, really, it's fine.” He forced on a smile and grabbed the keys off of the mantle where he had left them. He bolted before he could hear anything else that Bruce had to say.

Jon looked up at Bruce with a frown on his face. “I know. I know,” he grumbled and headed for the kitchen. Lois was standing next to the door, clearly eavesdropping. He handed Jon over. “I'm mad at you,” he said and went after Dick.

Dick's forehead was resting against the steering wheel of Jason's truck. He felt like an idiot for not recognizing it. The engine clicked as it tried to turn over again. He tapped on the window. Dick turned his head enough for him to see his eyes. He cranked the window open a few seconds later.

“I can get it running, if you pop the hood.” Dick nodded and silently pulled the lever. “Jason's been putting off getting this fixed for a while.” He moved to the engine. He sighed when he looked at it and pushed his sleeves up. The truck had been in pristine shape when he'd given it to Jason for his 16th birthday, but after he'd moved out it didn't look like anyone had taken care of it. “Try it now?” he called after reconnecting a loose wire. The whole assembly needed to be replaced. He wondered how pissed Jason would be if he stole his truck one day and got it back in working condition. The engine started up with a mighty heave and he let the hood drop shut. “You should be good to go, but let someone know to expect you. In case it breaks down again.”

Dick looked up at him. He saw the confusion and hurt in his eyes. The engine cut off. “Do you know a place we could go and talk?”

“Uh, yeah. Bibbo's is right down the street.” Dick pushed the door open.

“You're driving, and buying. I was promised a free meal.”

He opened the door for Dick and shut it breathing out slowly before crossing to the driver's side. They didn't talk on the drive to the diner. Bibbo called out to him from behind the counter when they walked in. He waved back and picked the booth in the corner.

“How're you doing Mr. Wayne? Menus for yous. Drinks?”

“Coffee for me,” he said. Dick agreed with a nod.

“Two coffees,” Bibbo said as he set down the cups. “I'll let you two look over the menu. Holler when you're ready.” He thanked the man and picked up the menu to have something to do with his hands. He relaxed in the familiar sounds and smells of the diner. They'd been coming to Bibbo's since Lois first moved to Metropolis. One of her coworkers had told her about it and a week later they had all piled into one of the cracking polyester booths and ate some of the best food they'd ever had. A few years ago Bibbo had been pressured to sell when the land and buildings around it started getting bought up. Wayne Enterprises had bought the land with the intention of building a future office space. A clerical oversight had the project stalled and so they rented out the buildings to shops and cafes.

“I'm sorry,” he said after reading the front page of the menu.

“What exactly are you sorry for?” Dick asked cooly. He looked up briefly before returning his gaze to the menu.

“For panicking. For going with him. But mostly for hurting you.”

“You know how much that sucked?”

“Yeah. I do,” he uttered. Dick set the menu down and looked at him. He didn't know what he saw, or even what he was looking for, but after a couple seconds he sighed.

“I think I'm going to have the burger. They claim it's the best in Metropolis.” Dick pointed to the sign behind the bar.

“It's better than any burger I've ever had here. And Clark's a burger snob, so I've had a lot.” He raised his hand, “Bibbo, two of the regulars. Extra sauce on mine.”

“I told you that you'd like it.”

“I know. I should have trusted you.”

Dick was grinning at him when he turned back.

“What?”

“Nothing. You're just a completely different person here. You're like smiling.”

“I smile,” he mumbled.

“Not like that smile just now. Most of the time it looks like your smiling because you think you should be smiling. I've seen a lot of smiles like that.”

“My face wasn't meant for smiles.”

“Bull shit.”

They talked a little more about his smile, which was odd, before Dick changed the subject to what he was learning in class. He could listen to Dick talk about his studies forever. The subject changed again when their food was placed in front of them.

“I swear Tiger is going to kill me and hide my body in the keg cooler. I forgot the cranberry in this girl's vodka cranberry and she thanked and tipped me. His face when I put the ten dollar bill in the jar was,” Dick grinned and shook his head.

“I drank that sour thing you gave me. I don't know what you thought you were making, but it wasn't what I ordered. And you looked so proud of it, I couldn't help it.”

“Is his name really Tiger?” he asked when Dick just stared at him a fry halfway in his mouth.

“It's what he says it is. Even his personnel file just says Tiger. Shawn said she checked.”

“You called him Tony?”

“Tony the Tiger. I know that's not your favorite cereal, but I'm sure you've heard of him.”

“I think I've seen him on one of my late night grocery runs. He's the Toucan right?” Dick laughed. He was beginning to doubt Dick's sense of humor, but he'd missed that laugh. The rest of the meal was an easy conversation. He earned Dick's laugh a few more times.

He paid, Bibbo stopped trying to give him free meals a few years ago, and they walked out. The ride back to the Kent's was quiet. Dick looked lost in thought.

“This wasn't a bad first date,” Dick said when he put the car in park. He glanced over to him. “I like seeing you out of Gotham. Maybe we could do this again?”

“What? You-” He stopped before he could say something that would make Dick change his mind. “Yes,” he breathed. Dick's smile was small and soft when leaned forward, kissing him.

“I'll call you,” Dick said with a smile.

He ended up having to start the truck again. Dick looking exasperated as he sat behind the wheel. He closed the hood and stepped back. He stood there for a few minutes after Dick drove away.

“You look like a creep,” Lois called from the door. “How did it go?” she asked when he joined her.

“I'm less mad at you.”

“So, what happened?”

“He liked Bibbo's.”

“Maybe Oliver was right about him being your soulmate,” Clark said quietly. Jon was asleep on his chest where he was reading on the sofa. He laughed and settled on the couch opposite him.

-

“Hey! Are you here or what?” He stumbled out of bed and down the stairs. Jason stood at the bottom looking up at him. “What are you wearing?”

He glanced down. He was in his free hugs shirt again, and bright pink pants. “Clothes?”

Jason laughed, turned back, and called, “Come fix my truck,” over his shoulder. He looked back at his bed before sighing and jogging after him.

They worked on the truck for the next few hours in silence. He didn't know when exactly this rift between them had started it, but before he knew it he was staring at his brother in the distance.

“Has your oil ever been changed?” he asked the truck while watching the sludge drip into the pan.

“Are you talking to me or the engine?” He jerked and hit his head. Jason pulled him out with a restrained laugh on his face. “You okay?” When he nodded Jason let out a light snicker. “You need to get out more. You're talking to inanimate objects.”

“You need to take care of your engine.”

“I know. That's why I'm here. Dick bitched at me the whole day yesterday.”

He slid back under the truck.

“Oh and- I was wondering if you'd- uh- want to... Oh, I don't know, meet my girlfriend.” Bruce hit his head again, surprised by Jason’s words. He cursed and pushed himself out.

“Girlfriend?” He didn't think Jason had had an actual girlfriend since high school. He had definitely not wanted Bruce to meet them. “Sure,” he agreed. “Tell me about her?” He sat on the dolly and watched Jason talk about his girlfriend. He walked around waving a wrench through the air as he talked.

\---

Dick thought about calling Bruce as soon as he got home, but Jason was there asking about the drive and Dick wasted no time complaining to him about his truck until he agreed to get it fixed. Still he was surprised when Jason texted him two days later, a picture of Bruce leaning against the hood, a streak of grime painting his face as he looked at his brother in exasperation.

 **JW:** Getting my car fixed, mom.

It took every ounce of restraint that he had not to immediately set the photo as his phone background as he settled into his seat for his lecture. By the time he got out of class there was another text in his unread messages.

 **BW:** Thank you.

That text got him though an absolute insane shift. Three bachelorette parties had come into the bar at the same time and Tiger was just about ready to kill him as they all flocked toward Dick as their primary drink maker. He tried to insist that at least one of them go to Tiger, but they just laughed and touched his arm, his chest, his hair and insisted he was perfect. He looked like he had been pushed through a mob by the time he got back to the clock tower and smelled like so many conflicting perfumes that his head hurt. He still had to outline an essay before he could call in a night. But he decided that he should take a shower first, plugging his phone in on his bedside table. He pulled open Jason's chat and smiled at the picture of Bruce again before he clicked back to Bruce's that he had emptied except for those two words.

 **DG:** Just a small taste of the many benefits that come with dating me.

He pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it on the hamper, surprised when his phone buzzed. He would have thought Bruce would be asleep by now seeing as it was one in the morning, but he should have known the time wouldn't matter.

 **BW:** What are the other benefits?

Dick grinned and fell onto his bed.

 **DG:** There is a whole list.

 **BW:** I think I should know what I am getting myself into.

 **DG:** Well, aside from entirely too much Jason time, I am a wonderful shower singer.

 **BW:** Is that so?

 **DG:** Rolling Stone’s review called my rendition of Black Betty both haunting and hard to decipher the words.

 **BW:** That would explain why I couldn't find a copy. Must have sold out state wide.

 **DG:** And that is just ONE of my benefits. I also get off work at one in the morning. Sometimes I smell like not one, but five different scents of perfume and you, my lucky man, get to try and guess what each one is.

 **BW:** Come over.

He blinked at the screen, a little turn in his stomach as he read the words again. He looked at the clock. It was one twenty and he hadn't showered yet. He still had to outline that essay and he had class at noon the next day and the last time he had been at Bruce's hadn't ended well. But this felt different. And he wanted to very badly to jump on this words and ride them across town.

 **DG:** I smell like a dive bar.

 **BW:** I don’t care.

 **DG:** Be there in 30.

He pulled on a random shirt from out of his drawer and tried to rearrange his hair to look like he hadn't got mauled by three dozen women before he’d gotten home. It didn't help much and eventually he grabbed his backpack and went outside to find a cab. He’d lucked into getting a more experienced cabbie who went through the back part of the city and they ended up at Bruce's with five minutes to spare. He tipped him well as he climbed out of the car and made his way up the stone front, the door popping open as soon as his fist hit the door.

“Were you waiting by the door?” he laughed, but Bruce's eyes just shined at him and he pulled Dick inside and into a long easy kiss. It took any residual heaviness right of his shoulders and the softness of his touch made him feel warmer than he had in weeks.

Bruce made a face when he finally pulled away from him. “You really do smell like a dive bar.”

Dick sighed and passed him his backpack. “I'm going to go find that awesome shower,” he told him. Bruce took a step to follow him but Dick pat his chest with a smirk. “Nope, you are going to make coffee. I have homework to do.” He could feel Bruce’s pout on his back as he walked up the stairs but when he came back down fifteen minutes later in one of Bruce’s old college shirts and his boxers there was a hot mug waiting on the coffee table in the den next to his backpack. Bruce was watching some old sitcom and moved to turn it off when he came in but Dick told him to leave it. “I like the background noise,” he said as he pulled out his books and notes pad sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table.

After about thirty minutes Dicks neck started to get stiff. He finished off the last of his now cooled coffee and ached when a pair of large hands rubbed up his back. He looked back at Bruce but he was still watching the show, his movements absent minded. He flattened the stress right out of him until Dick could rush through the end of what his paper would be. He crawled off the floor and onto Bruce’s lap until he was laying on the couch and Dick was laying on Bruce. He kissed him and tucked his head against his chest. He yawned and Bruce kept rubbing up his back until his eyes got too heavy and he couldn't keep them open anymore.

 

He didn't know when he fell asleep, but he woke up to a Law and Order rerun. He shifted and Dick whined. He rubbed his back nuzzling against his neck for a moment. “I need to get up,” he whispered.

“No,” Dick grunted latching on to the front of his shirt.

“I'll make you coffee and breakfast.”

“Pancakes,” Dick said turning to press a kiss to his lips. Dick curled around the throw pillow as he settled back down.

He set the coffee down on the table and went back for the pancakes. Dick was up and smelling the cup when he got back.

“You actually made me pancakes.” The smile he got was worth the stack of burnt and failed cakes in the kitchen. He'd always hated making pancakes. The pan was always too hot, the mix too runny, he never been very good at it so Jason had taken over pancake duties. It felt good though setting the stack on the table and sitting back down next to Dick.

Once they had finished their breakfast Dick pushed him back down on the couch and laid down on him. “You know I thought your bed was great, but this is better.” He chuckled and Dick propped his chin on his shoulder to look up at him before asking, “What are you doing today?”

“I have a lunch with one of the board members, then I'm visiting the center. One of the kids learned how to dunk. He's going to show me his skills.”

“So you'll be free this evening?”

“I think so.”

“Good. You're my incentive to finish my paper.”

“Okay?” Bruce replied with a half-smile.

“So don't make plans.”

He promised and rubbed Dick's back when he turned to watch the show. Dick was half asleep when his alarm went off. He dug around for it before sitting up and looking down at Bruce.

“I'll text you when I finish my paper.”

-

“Let's take a selfie,” he told the kids and they all piled in. He laughed and snapped the picture. “What do you think? A funny one?” They took a few more, one with all of them glaring at the camera, one with them cross-eyed sticking their tongues out. One of the girls pigtails had been knocked askew by the chaos. He sat her in his lap and took it down before carefully rebraiding the golden curls.

“Say cheese!” A young voice called. He glanced up and smiled by reflex at the camera. He watched as the pair giggled over the picture.

“There all done.”

“Thanks!” he got a hug before they ran off. He picked up his phone from the ground where they'd left it and scrolled through the pictures. He sent the first one to Dick.

An hour later he sent the funny photo while trying to decide if he should eat or head down to the gym. He picked the gym. As he headed back upstairs he sent Dick the photo of them all glaring. Dick hadn't responded yet, but since he'd said he was working on his essay he hadn't expected him to.

He took his time in the shower, letting the water soothe the aches from sleeping on the couch, and his workout. He sent the picture of him braiding before heading back down to the kitchen. He could probably pull together some snack.

“You're an evil evil man!” Dick shouted as soon as he stepped into the kitchen.

“You said you needed incentive,” he said with a laugh when Dick jumped into his arms. Dick just growled his response before catching his mouth in a crushing kiss.

-

Bruce stood outside of Circe's waiting for Jason. It had been over two weeks since Jay had asked if he'd meet his girlfriend, but he hadn't said anything about it since. He was surprised when Jay had texted him that he'd made a reservation and sent him the time. Circe's was one of the nicer restaurants in town, definitely not somewhere Jason had ever enjoyed. He adjusted his tie and checked his watch again. Maybe he'd gotten the time wrong.

Dick had laughed at him for being as nervous as he was when he was just having dinner with his brother. He'd let Dick pick out his tie and listened to him talk about Barbara while he got ready. Dick had stepped up behind him to tie his tie while watching him in the mirror. He focused on the memory of Dick's hands on his shoulders and not the second hand ticking further and further past their reservation.

 **BW:** I think my brother stood me up.

 **DG:** Jay was late to his own graduation. Give it a few.

 **DG:** Oh shit. It's been 30 minutes. Are you sure you got the time right?

 **BW:** I am sure.

 **DG:** You did check enough times.

He could practically hear the mocking through Dick's text. He checked one more time, just to be sure that he hadn't misread.

 **DG:** You checked again didn't you?

He swiped the notification at the top of the screen away.

 **DG:** Don't ignore me just because I'm right.

 **DG:** You didn't tell me you had a hot tub. I'm about to turn myself into soup. Ditch Jason and join me.

 **DG:** Soooooooooooup!

 **BW:** They just got here. I'll soup with you later.

 **DG:** I'm going to hold you to that.

He held the door open for them, earning an eye roll from Jason and a glare from Barbara. He swallowed and followed them in.

“We caught every light on the way here. Did you know there is construction on 8th?” Jason babbled. He was surprised because he only babbled when he was nervous. The only time he'd seen him that nervous was before the hearing for his adoption.

“So how did you two meet?”

“When Dick moved in,” Jason said at the same time Barbara spoke.

“Dinah's show at the Watchtower. You remember that right?”

“I do,” he answered.

He fished details that he already knew about Barbara, and could tell with each brief answer that she was not a fan of his. Jason was getting more and more tense as the meal went on. He obviously had no clue what was going on, and didn't like it.

“Oliver said he set you up with another Soul Mate,” Jason blurted when Barbara and him were arguing quietly about the history of Gotham.

“Huh?” He looked over to Jason. “Oh.” He remembered the brunette Oliver had sent him a picture of, one of Dinah's friends. He looked over to Jason. He could tell him. But Barbara's eyes digging into the side of his face had him hesitating. “He sent me her photo. I told him I wasn't interested. I've been seeing someone.”

“No shit?” Jason asked. Jason seemed more interested in the fact that he was actually dating someone than knowing who it was. They spent the rest of dinner talking about Bruce's dating history then the worst dates they had ever been on.

\---

He hadn't been able to stay in the hot tub until Bruce made it back home. So when he showed up two hours later he was spread across the bed watching a an episode of a medical drama that Dinah had gotten him into. He smiled lazily at him rolling onto his back hugging the pillow he’d been laying on to his chest as he smiled at him. “How did it go?” he asked as Bruce closed the door behind him. Bruce didn't answer, he just walked over and pulled the pillow out of his arms. He put it down to the side of him and kissed Dick sweetly before pulling back and looking down at him again with the most curious expression in his eyes. Dick tilted his head looking back. He felt self conscious like he had something on his face. “What was that for?” he asked. But Bruce answered with a kiss again and Dick couldn’t say he was too worried about it.

He ran his hand through up the back of his neck, mussing up his perfectly styled hair as he pulled Bruce more on top of him. Bruce’s shoes hit the ground next to the bed with a clunk and Dick pushed his suit jacket off of his shoulders, his tongue tracing his pulse. Bruce made a noise that Dick wished he could bottle as his dick twitched in response, helped my hand large hand slipping into his sweatpants. “Fuck.” he gasped as Bruce gripped him giving a long hot pull that had him throw his head back, hands frozen on a button midway down Bruce’s shirt.

“Is this okay?” Bruce asked into his jaw, the smallest hesitation reminding him of that last time they’d been here. Dick on his knees in the shower and Oliver talking at Bruce through the shower curtain.

Dick frowned. He didn’t want to think about that. Bruce felt so good against him. He was big and warm and hard and Dick wanted nothing more than for him to be inside of him, stretching and filling him-- but he couldn’t. He had to bite down hard on his lip as he pushed Bruce up enough for him to be able to look into his eyes. “I like you so much,” he told him in a small moan of misery. “But I don’t know if I’m ready too… not yet.”

Bruce nodded and kissed him, unable to hide the sadness in his amazing eyes but he tried. “Are you too tired to make soup?” he asked a little amusement in his tone.

 _Yes._ “I’m never too tired to soup with you,” he told him, letting Bruce pull him out of bed and down the hallway.

-

Dick spent most of the week with Bruce at the manor. Oliver was out of town on business and Dinah had decided to go with him so at least that side of the wall was quiet. But apparently Jason and Barbara assumed that Dinah was the only person who could hear them because their usually cruelties had taken it up a notch and whatever kinky fuckery he thought they were had been up to and was nothing on what he could hear now. Bruce didn’t seem to mind. He actually grinned the first night he came home and found Dick huddled on his doorstep sleep deprived and shivering, the real smile that he had gotten in Metropolis. And if Jason and Barbara realised that he was gone, they never mentioned it.

It was the week before finals so most of his time was committed to studying. Bruce seemed more than happy just to have him there. He read and watched movies while Dick scribbled out flashcards to remember important cases and dates and when he finished he would help him study.

Bruce made it entirely too easy for Dick to fall in love with him. In every touch and smile, in each cup of coffee or sweater that he brought him when he was still awake at three in the morning. Dick knew that he was head over heels in love and he was absolutely terrified.

He had to work the night before his last final, his mind entirely too full. It made him jumpy and more forgetful than usual, running to the back every ten minutes to flip through his flashcards again only to see that he had the right answer the entire time.

“Why are you so worried?” Tiger asked more at ease than usual. With Dick distracted, he was the main bartender and he could be sure that the few people in the bar were supplied with quality beverages. “You are always studying. I’m sure you will do fine. Annoyingly so.”

Dick frowned at him. “I’m on a scholarship. If I don’t get top marks I can’t afford the next semester's tuition.”

“You could take out loans.”

He shook his head, “I’m maxed out.”

Tiger raised an eyebrow at him. “What about the modeling job? You said it was enough to cover the first two years, I’m sure you could get another one.”

He’d thought about it. His old agent had called him more than once offering him a new job for enough money that he wouldn’t have to work through the rest of the semester- and maybe he would have taken it if he wasn’t seeing Bruce. But when he thought back to how Wally had reacted when the first ad went up… he didn’t want to ruin things when they were just getting good. “No, I just can’t.”

Tiger shrugged, wiping the bartop down to avoid sending his annoyed look Dick’s way. “Suit yourself,” he grumbled and Dick tried to focus on his flash cards until the next rush came in.

-

He put down his pencil when the clock ran out already feeling like he had failed. He’d over slept having gotten to Bruce’s late after the bar closed and barely had time to throw a shirt on before he was flying over Bruce and running for the door. But that was it. It was over. All he could do now was wait and hope that it was enough to keep his scholarship in his next and final semester and then he could do what he’d always wanted and help kids. The picture Bruce sent him the other day with the group from the center popped into his head and he couldn’t help but smile. It will be worth it, he told himself as he placed his scantron in his teacher’s hand and followed the rest of the class out the door.

He was sipping on his first cup of coffee for the day when Wally and Jason found him in the quad, both of them looking like they had been through the ringer too. “Remind me why I had to take accounting.” Wally begged Dick as he dropped his backpack on the ground.

“You didn’t know what you wanted to do with your life and decided to get a degree in business.” Jason said in monotone as he placed a coffee in front of him and sat down across from Dick. “You done?” he asked sounding jealous.

Dick nodded. “Just finished my last one. I keep meaning to go home, but I don’t think I can stand yet. I’m too tired.” He looked over at the bus stop that was five yards away like it was five miles.

Jason snorted. “You haven’t been home all week. I think this is the longest I’ve seen you since you gave me a lecture on my truck.” He glared at him. “Just how much are you working?”

“Enough,” Dick said defensively. “I haven’t been home cause you and Babs are like listening to a sex bomb going off.” Jason grinned at that and it was Dick’s turn to glare. “It’s not a compliment. I can’t sleep.”

“So where have you been?” Wally asked quietly. He was picking at the cardboard heat protector on his cup, not looking at either of them.

Heat rose up his neck and he rubbed at it like that would make it go away. “Just… staying with a friend.”

“A sex friend?” Wally asked narrowing his eyes. Dick took a drink of his coffee in answer. “Do we know him?”

Don’t look at Jason. Don’t look at Jason. Don’t look at- “Y-yeah.” he admitted. “But I can’t tell you who it is. So don’t bother trying to get it from me.”

“What if I guess right?”

“I’ll still say no.”

“Dick-” Wally whined.

But both of them looked at Jason when he slammed his hands down on the table. “Holy shit.” He was staring at Dick’s chest, his zipper having moved just enough to show the tie dye unicorn t-shirt that he had pulled randomly out of the drawer in his hurry to school that morning. He had been planning on asking Bruce exactly why he had this shirt because surely he wouldn’t ever actually wear it. But Jason was looking at him a little green faced as his eyes went from the shirt to Dick’s face and back again. “You… where did you get that shirt?” he demanded.

Dick knew his eyes were too wide and he tried to look normal but to no avail, so he lied, “Thrift store?”

Jason glared and grabbed his arm, pulling him towards the student parking lot without a word to Wally who stayed at the table calling a confused, “Hey!” after them. Jason looked like his mind was going about a mile a minute. Dick’s heart was racing, but he let Jason pull him to his truck and stop in front of the full but empty lot. “That’s Bruce’s shirt. Diana gave it to him for christmas when I was fifteen. The idiot never throws anything away. Why are you wearing it?” he demanded.

Dick’s mind was reeling, looking for any kind of excuse that he could find, but he couldn’t come up with anything. “I… well I was, uh-”

“Dick.” He looked up from where he was staring at the ground. Jason’s face was softer than he expected from a voice that sounded so hard. “Are you fucking my brother” he asked. Dick didn’t say anything, but he also knew that he didn’t need to. “Fuck…” Jason whispered and turned away from him for a second. He ran a hand through his hair before he walked back and held out his hand. “I need that shirt,” he told him.

“What?” Dick asked.

“The shirt,” Jason deadpanned. “I need it.”

“But I’ll be naked. And it’s cold”

“Dick!” Jason groaned throwing his head back in annoyance. “Please, I need to be dramatic. I’ll take you home but-” He shook his hand and waited until Dick pulled it off and handed it over to him. “Great.” He nodded toward the truck. “Now get in.”

\---

“Did I smell this bad last night?” Dick asked sniffing the shirt in his hand. He hummed and Dick glanced to him. “I'm taking one of your shirts.”

“Just bring it back this time. I can't afford to replace all the shirts you steal.”

“All of them? I borrowed one.”

“Two,” he said and yawned. Dick scoffed and turned to grab a shirt blindly from the drawer. He looked over to the clock.

“I thought you had your final at 9?”

“I do. And I know I'm late. Do you want to do dinner before my shift?” Dick asked from the bathroom.

“Chinese?”

“Sounds good.” Dick zipped up his jacket and half crawled onto the bed. He smiled into the kiss and reached for him, but Dick caught his hands. “Nuh uh. I have to go.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. Go back to sleep. I'll text you later.” Dick kissed him again before jogging out the door. He heard the front door slam shut a few seconds later.

 **BW:** Good Luck

He dozed off after sending the text a few minutes before nine. He did not miss the stress of finals, just reliving them through Dick was stressful enough. He'd spent most of the last few days with Dick reciting definitions and dates at him. Bruce was pretty sure that _he_ could pass the final.

-

 **OQ:** Seattle has never been so beautiful.

Bruce sighed and closed out of the thread. He didn't need to see yet another picture of Oliver and Dinah kissing in front of some Seattle hotspot. This latest was with the space needle in the background. Ollie hated the space needle.

He was surprised by how much the stream of pictures didn't bother him. There was still a twinge of pain every time he opened the picture and knew that it wasn't him that was earning that smile, but it faded. And with each new picture the faster it faded, or maybe it was with each day with Dick. Each day where he didn't have to question how long he was going to be able to hold his attention, because even when Dick was neck deep in lecture notes he was still there with him, and wanted to be there. Each day where he didn't have to hold back what he was feeling. When he could kiss and hold, and be kissed and held without it leading anywhere.

He knew that his relationship with Oliver wasn't healthy. Knew that he was hurting himself more the longer it went on, but he'd never thought that he could have anything else. So he'd been happy with what he did have. At least he'd convinced himself he was happy.

The first time Dick got a text from one of his friends asking if he wanted to hang out when he was at the manor he'd been ready for Dick to tell them that he'd be over in a few, but when Dick had replied with a brief ‘I've already got plans’ he'd frozen. Dick had made a noise and looked up at him, wondering why he'd stopped the massage. He'd told Dick that he could go if he wanted to and that had earned a strange look. The conversation that had followed had been painful, but he'd been honest and at the end he'd come to terms with maybe just how unhappy he'd been. Dick's ‘you know if you're busy and I ask to hang out you don't have to say yes. If you want to you can, of course, but I'm not going to be upset,’ had surprised him even more.

 **BW:** Broccoli or snap peas?

 **DG:** Broccoli. It's like you don't even know me.

He hadn't expected an answer. Dick must have finished his final. He tossed the snap peas back into their bin and headed for the check out.

He set the groceries out and turned on his music before getting started. The stir fry was easy, but he'd taken the long route and hadn't bought the pre-made mix they'd used the last time. He hummed along as he chopped the vegetables.

“Hey,” he turned and a flash of fabric filled his vision before wrapping around his face. He pulled the fabric free and looked down at the majestic glittering unicorn and it's tie dyed background. Had Dick been wearing this when he left?

Jason stood in the doorway staring at him. He looked back down at the shirt. Dick had been wearing it. His mind raced to figure out some way of explaining it. He gripped the stupid shirt and wished he'd tossed it years ago when it stopped fitting. Diana wouldn't have cared, but it had been a gift, and he hadn't been able to. His hand started to shake. He'd worn it so many times, Jason had been mortified when he'd shown up to a parent-teacher conference in it and had refused to walk down the hall with him on their way home. He couldn’t deny that it was his.

The air was knocked out of him when something collided with his chest. He sucked in a breath that he hadn't noticed he'd needed and felt arms wrap around him. He couldn't remember the last time that Jason had hugged him without prompting.

“Dick is so much better than Oliver,” Jason said. His arms tightened around Jason.

“You knew?” he whispered trying to get his emotions back under control. He'd always had to be the strong one, Jason had been so young when their parents had died. Then they were left again and he'd had to step into the parent role when he was just starting to think about what it meant to be an adult.

“I suspected. I knew you weren't happy with any of those women you dated. You could have told me.” Jason pushed back enough to look up at him. He shook his head and rubbed his hand across his face.

“I had already pushed you away. I didn't want to lose you completely. You're all I have left.” Jason looked at him like he had never seen him before.

“What the fuck? You didn't- You're all I have too!” Jason snapped and poked him on the chest. “You'll never lose me. I'm your brother. I have papers to prove that you're stuck with me forever.” He choked out a laugh. They'd had this same conversation years ago, Jason worried that he'd be taken away and Bruce telling him that they were going to go talk to some people then they'd have proof that they were brothers so no one could separate them.

He took a few steadying breaths as Jason watched him. Once he'd gotten his breath back Jason knocked his head.

“Did you really think I'd- you raised me to be better than that.”

“I know. You used to look up to me. I just wanted to make you proud. I didn't want to disappoint you. I -” he broke off. He'd had so many excuses over the years. So many reasons that at the time had sounded perfectly acceptable, but saying them out loud with Jason watching him just made them sound so weak.

“I still do, you know?” He flicked his eyes to Jason. “Look up to you… You're my fucking hero. I just- you made a name for yourself. You decided you didn't want the path that was dictated for you and found what you wanted to do. I just wanted to do the same thing. I didn't think you'd- I didn't know you thought I- Why would you think I wasn't proud that you were my brother?” He blinked. He'd been pushing down so much, accepting that the life he wanted he wasn't going to get, maybe it had affected him more than he'd realized. He couldn't answer that though. Not now, not feeling so raw.

“What'd you do to Dick?” he asked holding up the shirt. “He was wearing this the last time I saw him.”

“I stole it from him and dumped him at his house. So you two are actually together? He's who you were talking about at dinner?”

“Yeah. That's why Barbara was so angry with me that night.”

“She knows?”

“Dick vented to her. I didn't know until after that dinner.”

“Everyone around me keeping secrets,” Jason mumbled to himself. Jason's phone started ringing. “It's your boyfriend,” Jason said as he answered it. “What? Yeah we did.” Jason looked at him. Then held out the phone.

“I tried to warn you,” Dick said when he answered. “But you didn't answer.”

“I was making dinner.” He looked back at the cutting board.

“Are you okay?” Dick asked, his voice soft.

“I'm good.” Jason was getting impatient listening to half of the conversation. “You hungry?” he asked Dick.

“I'm still a little panicked, but yes?”

“Jason will pick you up in a few.” Jason made a noise. “I had dinner with your girlfriend. You can have dinner with my boyfriend.”

“Fine,” Jason grumbled, but he could see the smile tugging at his lips.

“I'll see you in a few,” he told Dick and handed the phone to Jason.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry this is later than our normal posts! But we still got it done on Monday. (Go us!)
> 
> Prubbs is opening a new building which is super exciting and awesome, but also sucks time like nothing else. And I was at a hockey game in Philly this weekend. I definitely got the better end of that deal, but our weekend was fuller than we expected. Luckily we've already finished this sucker so I just had to edit it. (If there are any errors it's cause i didn't go through it as carefully as I probably should have.) 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it. As always let us know what you think.
> 
> If you have story requests, questions or just want to say hello-- follow DNA and I on twitter at [@PBrubbs](https://twitter.com/PBrubbs) and [@Dnawhite51](https://twitter.com/Dnawhite51) and see the process of our day to day writing frustrations.


	5. Chapter 5

Dick’s heart hammered hard against his ribcage when Bruce said ‘boyfriend’ to Jason. It wasn’t like he didn’t know what he was Bruce’s boyfriend already, but he didn’t think that Bruce knew that. He thought it would be something that he had to explain to him after Bruce fell into some self-deprecating crisis- but here he was, telling his brother that he had a boyfriend all on his own. Dick was Bruce’s boyfriend.

He paced until Jason got to the clock tower, trying to get the extra energy out of his body so that he could try to act semi-normal when he got to the manor, but he couldn’t shake it. Jason didn’t say much on the way to the manor, he turned on a playlist that they had made in the eighth grade before Jason got moved into private school and they grinned at each other. They sang obnoxiously until they could see the great house on the horizon. “Remember when we were kids and you used to tell me I had to marry your foster sister so we could be brothers?”

“I remember you telling me I was an idiot and needed to find a hotter foster family.” Dick smirked.

Jason rolled his eyes. “Be nice to my brother okay?” He told him and shook his head. “I know I have no room to talk, but he’s the only family I have. So…”

Luckily they pulled in to the driveway, so they didn’t have to sit on the awkward sentiment for too long. Bruce was in the kitchen focusing a little too hard on the broccoli in the pan to be completely normal. Dick walked up behind him and snuck a kiss on his cheek making him blink and look at him. His eyes were glassy and Dick put his arm around his waist. “Hey,” Bruce smiled and kissed him. “How was the test?”

“Horrible, but probably fine,” he admitted with a shrug. “I haven’t really thought about it. Jason provided an excellent distraction.” They both looked back at Jason who was sitting on the other side of the island, his head in his hands as he gawked openly at the two of them.

“How did this even happen?” he asked, the shock of the whole thing starting to register now that he was seeing them together.

Dick smirked at him. “We fucked in the breakroom at the Vermillion opening.” Jason choked on seemingly nothing and Bruce stifled a laugh. “You okay?” Dick asked innocently.

“You’re fucking evil,” Jason grumbled.

“Consider this payback for making me listen to hours of your sexcapades.”

Dinner was easy, like they ate together every night and it was just another normal day. Dick was proud of Bruce for being so brave, and he was proud of Jason for taking it so well. And more than anything he wanted to stay and spend more time basking in what was turning out to be an awesome day- but the clock was ticking down and he had to get to work. “I’ve gotta go,” he sighed, slipping his rinsed plate into the washer. “If I’m late for shift change Shawn will kill me.”

“You’ll come by after?” Bruce asked. His voice was light, but Dick knew he would need him tonight.

“Of course.” He kissed his cheek heading for the door when Jason cleared his throat. He looked back and he was tapping his cheek, face turned to the side. Dick grinned and came back to smack an obnoxious, wet kiss on the side of his best friend’s face. “You loser,” he grumbled, pinching his cheek as he left.

He was in a better mood than he had been in weeks, the stress of his finals was off of his shoulders and the stress of lying to his best friend completely gone. Tiger and Shawn gave him weird looks as he greeted them. Dick took his place behind the bar with a too big smile that dazzled the poor woman who had just walked up so badly that she could barely get out her drink order. He even remembered to add the cranberry juice as he handed it over and she pushed a twenty only the counter and ran away.

“What’s gotten into you?” Tiger demanded as Shawn waved at them on her way to the door. 

“I’m just really happy.” He shrugged pouring a beer for one of the regulars that had walked in. “It was a good day.”

“It's unsettling,” Tiger muttered but he smirked when he looked at him. “I feel like your cheeks are about to split open. Maybe you should see a doctor.”

“You’re just trying to get me to leave so you don’t have to split your tips.”

“That too,” he added and turned on his ‘pleasant face’ as a group of ladies stepped up to the bar.

-

Dick worked the same shift all weekend, taking advantage of not having school to keep Bruce in bed for a long as he possibly could. Their mornings consisted of slow, lazy kisses taking him back to when he was in high school and sex was this big scary thing. But even though he had been ruined for a long time, kissing Bruce brought that same teenaged excitement in his stomach, tying him in knots until he could barely stand it anymore and he wanted to jump him. But he didn’t. The weight that he had been feeling towards sex since _the incident_ had all but dissipated. Being open with Jason really helping that matter. He trusted Bruce, he trusted that he wouldn’t hurt him intentionally. But Dick also knew that he had a tendency to fall hard and fast. He didn’t want to get ahead of himself and take a leap that he couldn’t recover from.

The problem was that Dick had already taken that leap, foolishly thinking that he could just fuck Bruce and everything would be fine. He had known then that it was a bad idea. But he’d done it and he couldn’t take it back now. He was stuck with the very detailed knowledge of exactly how good it would feel if he just gave up and let Bruce have him. He knew exactly what Bruce would look like pushing into him and all of things that he would say.

Bruce kept catching Dick staring at him, when he came in from the gym or got out of the shower. Even when he was cooking in overly large sweats or just talking on the phone, Dick couldn’t stop ogling this beautiful man. His boyfriend. It was torture.

“So you are dating,” Tiger said after Dick tried to explain to him why exactly he was so tense. Dick nodded. “And you are in love with him?” Dick nodded again more slowly this time while Shawn squealed from the other side of the bar. She had changed so that she could stay and have a drink. Monday was painfully slow so Tiger was all too happy to have someone other than Dick to talk to. “Then I don’t understand why you can’t just have sex. You _have_ had sex with him before.”

Shawn swat his hand down. “Yeah, but that was before they were together,” she said in Dick’s defense. “It’s different now. Now there are feelings that weren’t there before. It’s not just sex-”

Tiger looked like he was regretting this conversation, “If you say making love, I swear to god-”

“It’s _making love_ ,” she sighed grinning at Dick who was choking on his laugh. “I get it, you want it to be perfect, and _I_ think that’s awesome.”

They high fived and Tiger rolled his eyes at them. “It would be more awesome if you didn’t come into work distracted-” but the door pushed open and Bruce stepped in wearing dark jeans and a deep blue corded sweater, ensuring that Dick wasn’t listening to anything else that Tiger had to say on the matter. “Speak of the devil…” he grumbled and Dick stepped away from them to greet him at the front of the bar.

“Hey.” He grinned at him, but it fell a little when he noticed how out of breath he was. “You okay? You look like you ran here,” Dick said looking him over. Bruce’s cheeks were red and his hair a little messed up as well.

“I’m sorry,” he said quickly. He took Dick’s hand and frowned. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I tried to steer them anywhere else, but I couldn’t get them to-”

“Bruce!” Bruce yanked his hand back and turned so that he was blocking Dick from whoever was calling his name. Dick stepped a little to the side and looked over the top of his shoulder to see the small group that had just followed him in. There was a tall, beautiful, dark haired woman who looked like she had just walked off a runway glaring at Bruce looking pissed as the stocky blond man next to her helped her out of her jacket. “Why did you run ahead of us?” She demanded. “I am in boots,” she said like it was a crime to leave her behind. The blond man smirked as he hung up her coat.

There was a massive blond man with his long hair pulled into a bun right behind them, talking animatedly with Lois who smiled at Dick with a wave. “Give him a minute to freak out. He’s never had to do this before,” Lois reminded the beautiful woman as they hung their coats and started over to the bar.

Bruce turned back to Dick desperately, and he almost felt guilty for laughing at him. “Are these your friends?” he asked

He took Dick’s hand again and kissed it. “Yes, some of them.  I’m sorry,” he sighed and pulled out the chair in front of him sitting hard. “You aren’t allowed to make any of their drinks,” he told them waving over Tiger, but Dick didn’t have time to be offended as Bruce’s friends swarmed in.

The beautiful woman reached him first. She reached over the bar to take Dick’s face in her hands. “You are gorgeous,” she said in an accent he could not identify, but he could listen to her say that over and over again. She turned to look at Bruce without letting him go. “Is he not gorgeous?” She demanded from him.

Bruce just smirked, his eyes only on Dick. “This is Diana,” he told him shaking his head. “And her boyfriend Steve.” Dick was glad when Steve took his hand instead of his face  giving it a strong squeeze before he sat down next to Diana.

The huge man was next. He reached over the counter and pulled Dick into a bone crushing hug that sent the bar top into his gut. He could hardly breathe when he let him go. “Arthur Curry,” he told him as he pulled out his phone and snapped a picture of Dick’s baffled face. “For my better half,” he explained, typing something into his phone before he slipped it into his pocket. “She is back home with the kid, never going to believe that Bruce’s first boyfriend ever is a freaking underwear model.”

If his face hadn’t been red before, it was now. He groaned and put his head on the bar top but Diana pulled him back up. “I will never understand the need to feel embarrassed by one's own beauty.” She shook her head and smoothed Dick’s hair back. “Let your body empower you. People will see it and be awed,” she said it just like she said it every day, her smile warm and easy.

Tiger placed drinks in front of all of them and handed one to Dick as well making him blink. “I clocked you out. I don’t need you anyway.” Then he leaned in and whispered, “Maybe use this time to get a little undistracted.” He smirked as he pushed Dick out from behind the bar. Lois grabbed him before anyone else had to chance to pull him into a dark corner.

“Where is Clark?” he asked happy to see her familiar and kind face.

“At home with Jon, who misses you by the way.” She pinched him and nodded to her group to follow her to a table in the very back of the empty bar. “You’ll have to come over soon and let my husband actually cook for you this time.” He nodded his reply as Lois pulled him into the same booth that they had been in the first night he had met them. He had a flashback of Bruce holding him up against the wall in the breakroom and had to think very hard about kittens to keep his dick from twitching to life. That was the absolute last thing that he needed to deal with surrounded by Bruce’s friends.

Bruce pulled Arthur back by the shoulder so that he could scoot in next to Dick and grab his hand under the table. There was another apology in his eyes but they didn’t have time to dwell on it. Diana had questions and she would get answers from him no matter how long they had to sit there.

-

They barely made it into the house before Bruce caught him up in a tangle of limbs, pressing him against the door. “You are amazing.” Bruce breathed into his mouth. Dick hummed unwilling the break the kiss to reply. “I have never seen Diana so smitten before. Even Steve was jealous.” Dick hummed again and grinned when Bruce tucked a hand under his ass and pulled him off the floor. Dick wrapped his legs around his waist, feeling the full length of Bruce hard against him.

“Maybe I should let you ambush me with your friends more often,” he panted, closing his eyes when Bruce rubbed into him. “B…” he groaned.

“Please,” Bruce breathed into his neck, “It’s been so long. I’ll make you feel so good,” he told him, grinding against him again and he knew that there was no way he could refuse. Dick kissed his submission and Bruce carried him to the foot of the stairs, dropping him the step above so that he still have to look up to kiss him. They were too preoccupied to move for a moment, tension easing just enough for the thrill of excitement to become almost terrifying. But Bruce knew exactly what to do and exactly where to touch. He took a step up for that they were on the same plane ran a hand from Dick’s neck to the small of his back. “Come back to me,” he whispered drawing Dick out of his mind.

He opened his eyes and looked up at him, knowing that he was saying it all in his eyes already, but he couldn’t keep it in any longer. He took Bruce’s face in his hands, his eyes drifting from his lips up to his eyes. “I love you,” he told him and he kissed the surprised ‘Oh’ of his lips before he could say anything back. He took a step back and let his hands drop down to Bruce’s, pulling him along. “Let me love you.”

Bruce followed Dick up the stairs. His mind replaying Dick's words on loop. ‘I love you.’ His kiss, reinforcing the sentiment, spreading those three words, ‘I love you,’ through his body. Dick pulled his shirt off and pulled him back to the bed. _I love you._ He looked down at Dick who was gazing openly at him. He loved him. He was _loved._ Dick's hands were soft as he pulled him in. Their moves together and against each other slow and careful and so full of words and feelings and intent. He felt like he would drown in it, but then Dick would catch his lips, would sigh out some praise and he'd be back in that moment, in every moment, in all the moments where Dick loved him. He fell apart shaking as Dick came with a cracked cry. He breathed in the damp air against Dick's chest and caught Dick's hand. He brought it close as he tied their fingers together. _I love you, too,_ he mouthed against the skin beneath him. Dick squirmed breathless laughter escaping him before he pulled him up and kissed him again.

That night he fell asleep curled around Dick listening to the beat of his heart. He closed his eyes with a smile on his lips. _Finally._

-

Dick ran his fingers through his hair again as he looked in the mirror.

“You look great. You always look great.”

“Thanks, but I want to look super great.”

“It's dinner at Clark and Lois’. You could wear the unicorn shirt and they'd love you. Maybe _I_ should wear that.” Dick grabbed him before he could go looking for the shirt. It didn't fit, still too small and tight. Dick had laughed when he'd seen him in it, then struggled to help him out of it.

“I know. But I want them to like me.”

“They already do,” he reminded him pulling Dick's hands down before he could touch his hair again. “We're going to be late if we don't leave soon.” Dick met his eyes in the mirror and he smiled trying to reassure him. Dick had easily agreed to the dinner last week, but when the plans got finalized he'd started to worry.

“What if Jon hates me now?” Dick asked when they were thirty minutes away from Metropolis. He caught his hand and squeezed it instead of answering.

Jon didn't hate Dick. He immediately reached up to him and shouted, “Fly!” at him. Bruce watched Dick play with Jon for a few minutes. When he looked away Lois and Clark were smiling at him. He narrowed his eyes at them and Lois started laughing. Lois and Dick talked for most of the meal. Every so often they'd all start bickering about something. He watched Clark explain some court case he'd reported on and wondered how he'd gone so long without this. Clark pulled Dick along with him to put Jon to bed. Lois tugged him into the kitchen and handed him a rag. She washed and he dried a few dishes before the question came.

“Have you told Oliver?” she asked and handed him a plate.

“He's been in Seattle,” he replied.

They washed two more plates before she spoke again. “So no.”

He glanced out the door then back to her. She looked down at the pot she was holding out to him. He took the pot and dried it. He didn't know what she wanted him to say.

“No. He's happy with Dinah, I'm happy with Dick. Does it matter?”

“It might.” She took the rag from him and shooed him toward the den.

Dick dozed off on the drive back. He took in his profile for a few seconds before focusing on the road.

-

“You're wrong. You need that veteran experience.”

“The game is getting faster, you need those younger players. Just look at the last two winners.” Tiger was already shaking his head before he'd even finished his sentence.

“If-”

He cut him off before he could continue. “Rentals don't work. Every year the Knights get older while all the other teams are developing their young guys and winning.”

“But we're-”

“What? Losing to get high picks then trading them away to get players a few years away from retirement.”

Tiger seemed to be at a loss for words. Bruce smirked. He knew he'd won. He looked over to where Dick was holding court with a group of women. He was supposed to have been off half an hour ago, but the group was lingering. He'd waved off Dick's offer to pass the tab to Tiger. He could wait.

“You know normally people don't smile when they see their SO's flirting with other people.”

“It's his job. He's good at that, even if he's terrible at the actual bartending part.”

“I am trying.” Tiger nodded to a patron a few feet away. One of the women grabbed Dick's wrist and he watched as he casually pulled it away from her while making her and her friends laugh. Dick glanced over to him, and the look in his eyes was why he didn't worry. He tapped his wrist and Dick rolled his eyes before laughing at something.

“Hey,” Oliver slid into the stool next to him, blocking his view of Dick.

“Hey, I didn't know you were back.” Bruce turned his attention to the man in front of him. He'd grown out his goatee again. He looked tired.

“Landed an hour ago.”

“Hey boss,” Tiger greeted and refilled Bruce's water. Oliver nodded and ordered a drink.

“Seattle looked like it treated you well.”

“Maybe it did. But it's not anymore. It's good to be back in Gotham. Back to the single life.” He blinked. That was news. Lois’ words suddenly echoed in his head. He regretted not having that conversation. The tired and tense look in Oliver's eyes that he knew from every break up. The slight lean into his space. He hadn't even noticed how close he was until then. “What are you doing tonight?” Oliver asked. The words echoing in his head. He felt Oliver's hand trail to the small of his back.

“I have a date.”

The hand disappeared. There was a beat of silence where even the sound of the club disappeared before Oliver laughed. He flinched at the harsh sound. His eyes flicking to Oliver then away. He met Dick's eyes. _When had he come over?_

“Sure you do. Come on, they'll close you out.”

Dick had just managed to flirt one more round of shots out of his group when he saw Oliver pull out the stool next to Bruce and his heart plummeted straight to his stomach. He didn't look. He focused on the ladies and declined their request for him to join them again as he tried not to notice how close that Oliver was leaning toward his boyfriend. He took the shot glasses from the group when they finished and  offered them all high fives. They had been high fiving him all night. He poured them all waters as fast as he could through the bar gun. “I'll be back in a minute,” he promised, unable to pull his gaze anymore as he turned back to the men, immediately focusing on Oliver's hand that had disappeared behind Bruce’s back. Oliver asked Bruce something under his breath, his eyes dark and half lidded, stirring up something horrible in Dick's stomach that moved him forward.

But Bruce just frowned at Oliver, shifting so that his hand wasn’t on his back any longer. “I have a date.” Dick barely heard him say from halfway down the bar. Oliver took his hand back and laughed. He fucking laughed at the idea that anyone would be interested in actually dating Bruce instead of just using him to get off every now and then. He stopped right in front of them and Bruce’s eyes flicked over to him. He looked confused and a little hurt and Dick could have punched Oliver right then and there.

“Sure you do,” Oliver chuckled. “Come on, they'll close you out.” He smiled widely at Dick like he would be on his side.

Bruce's hand was fisted on the bartop, Dick slid his hand over it wishing more than anything he could kiss him in front of this creep, but he settled for an easy smile instead. “I've got two more minutes,” he promised showing him the shot glasses in his other hand. “Just have to grab my bag from the back.” He pulled up Bruce’s hand and kissed it to tell him that he'd heard him and it was okay. Bruce's eyes lightened a little and he nodded to Oliver as he made his way over to the point of sale terminal.

Tiger already had their tabs printed out and handed them over as he took the shot glasses. His eyes were on Oliver and Bruce as he said, “Drop the tabs and grab your stuff. I'll pull your tips.” Dick nodded and made his way back over to the ladies thanking them again for coming in and bowing to them on his way back around the bar. He half ran up to the breakroom and tore his work shirt off, grabbing the button up he'd brought on a hanger from the clocktower. He rushed it on and threw his bag over his shoulder. Tiger already had the cash pulled and handed it to him as he pointed towards the door where Bruce and Oliver were standing in a heated looking conversation. “Go get him,” Tiger mumbled when Dick froze. He forced himself to put one foot in front of the other until he was standing next to Bruce and Oliver was looking between them like he was waiting for someone to tell him it was a joke.

Dick ignored him. “Hey, sorry you had to wait,” he said a little breathless from sprinting up and down the stairs. “Are you ready to head out or did you want to stop by your place first?”

Oliver made a noise and they both looked at him, “I'm sorry,” he said sounding like he almost wanted to laugh. “But this is a joke right?” he asked. “You two aren't actually together.”

“We are,” Dick said stiffly taking Bruce’s hand when he went still and silent next to him. “We have been for a few months. Is that a problem?” he asked. He could feel Bruce staring at him but he refused to break eye contact with Oliver.

“No,” he said too quickly. “I mean, it's just Bruce. He's-”

“An amazing and compassionate man.” Dick finished for him before Oliver said anything that could really set him off. But the fire had already been stoked and he couldn’t stop what was coming out of him. “Just because you are too thick to see him as anything more than a rebound doesn't mean the rest of the world hasn't taken notice of how fucking amazing he is. You had your chance, and you didn't take it- I'm not that stupid. Excuse us.” He pulled Bruce out the door and marched with him down the street past the valet and to the subway without thinking. Bruce had let himself get pulled on board silently as Dick fumed, his ears and neck hot with rage as he waited to cool down. He let go of Bruce's hand as he came back to himself slowly, trying to ignore the looks of everyone around them as they had given them a wide berth.

He didn't speak again until they reached the stop for the clock tower. They were the only ones stepping off and Bruce took his hand again in the quiet night. That's when the full realization of what Dick had just done hit him. “I'm going to get fired, aren't I?” he asked Bruce as he walked numbly down the block towards his apartment.

“Well,” Bruce's voice was more even than he had expected, his tone light as he squeezed his hand. “You weren't on the clock when you called him stupid…” he offered and he smiled when Dick looked up at him miserably.

Dick sighed, stopping in the middle of the vacant street and pulling Bruce around to look at him. “Are you okay?” he asked. Bruce nodded. “Are you sure?” Bruce nodded again and pushed a stray hair out of Dick's face. He put his arm around Dick's shoulders and lead him the rest of the way to the tower as Dick internationally dreaded his next shift. His hands were too shaky to get through his keys so he watched as Bruce shifted through them easily and let them in. He was definitely getting fired. But it was worth it.

They were alone when they reached the top of the tower, the kitchen light left on with a note stuck on the fridge.

_Dick,_

_Dinah and Oliver broke up so we are getting fucked. Grab that cute boy toy of yours and meet us at that gay bar we went to that one time on the edge of Burnside. If you don't make it by midnight_ _we will come find you._

 

 __-The Birds (and Jason)_ _ _  
_

He read it twice and handed it over to Bruce who looked more amused that Dick had it in him to be. “So we’re going out,” he said.

“We don't have to.”

Bruce smirked and pointed at the part where they had underlined that they would come find him. “I think we do,” he told him, pulling him toward the door.

“You'll be recognized.” Dick frowned at him.

Bruce shrugged. “It's Burnside,” he said like that was some kind of magic explain all answer.

“There are still photographers in Burnside,” Dick told him but Bruce kissed him, making his argument wash right out of his head.

“Tonight, I don't care,” he told him in a low voice that he'd have committed murder for. But he was still in just a bad enough mood to think this was a horrible idea.

“Bruce…” he muttered but he kissed him again, his tongue unfairly stealing his fight and Dick had to push back against his chest to make him stop long enough for him to think. “Okay, fine,” he breathed, looking down at the neatly pressed outfit that made his boyfriend look like the powerful man he was. “But you aren't wearing that.”

-

“I look stupid.” Bruce fidgeted uncomfortably in the tight red v-neck and dark jeans of Jason's that he had found in Barbara's room. He was wearing sunglasses and a Gotham Knights cap that he'd found in the back of his closet and honestly looked good enough that Dick almost said they should stay in.

No one had given them a second look since they had gotten out of the taxi and Dick was immensely pleased to be able to hold his hand in public. He squeezed Bruce's hand and pulled him down into a kiss, earning wolf whistles from people in line around them. “My kind of stupid,” he grumbled into his lips and Bruce grabbed him, not giving a single shit about who was watching. They got through the line pretty quickly, a drag queen next to them demanding to know their story after watching their PDA for a good five minutes. She dragged them in with her and straight to the bar handing them both shots as she struck a pose with her own.

“To love between beautiful people.” She winked at both of them separately and Bruce turned red as they downed the round. Dick hugged her and she gave Bruce a big kiss on the cheek before heading back into the crowd and Dick ordered them a couple of drinks.

Bruce took the glasses off since it was too dark to see inside but no one looked at them in any other manner but appreciation. He led Bruce through the crowd, the dancing pushing them together every now and then, each time, a little electronic spark running up Dick’s spine. He found Barbara, Jason, and Dinah at a high table in the very corner of the club. Dinah jumped off her stool when she saw them to ring her arms around Dick’s neck.

“Quick, kiss me,” she told him. “Infect me with gay so I don't ever have to look at another man again!” but even as she said it she caught sight of Bruce and pushed Dick out of the way. “Well, hey there handsome.” She winked at him.

Dick rolled his eyes and grabbed her shoulders to turn her back to the table. “That one is mine.”

“But he's pretty,” she pouted.

“I know.” He laughed and looked back at Bruce who was red again. “That's why he's mine.”

“Thank God,” Jason said as Dick and Bruce were passed around the table to great everyone. “She was actually going to come and hunt you down,” he said hooking his thumb at his girlfriend who was grinning in utter delight at Bruce. “She's one scary SO- hey.” He turned to glare at Bruce but his surprise kind of ruined it. “Are you wearing my clothes?”

“He’s in disguise,” Dick told Jason.

Jason grinned like he had just been handed everything he’d ever wanted. “Oh my god.” He put a hand up to his mouth.

“Don't,” Bruce told him with a hard look that Dick had never seen, demanding and and in control. It made him shiver.

“But it would be so easy,” Jason said.

Bruce raised an eyebrow at him and glanced over at Barbara who was cheering Dinah through a whole round of shots. “Have you told Barbara about that call you gave me freshmen year when you went to that overnight field trip to Metropolis-”

“You said you would never mention that,” Jason hissed at him. Bruce smirked and Jason scowled at him, “Fine. Just know that you look stupid.”

Bruce turned his smirk toward Dick. “Luckily, I'm not trying to impress _you_ ,” he told his brother who made a gagging noise and went to steal one of Dinah's shots.

Dick scooted closer to Bruce standing on his toes to talk into his ear. “That was weirdly the most attractive thing I have ever witnessed.”

Bruce laughed, his eyes a little clouded from the alcohol as his eyes ran down his face. “You're a little bit of a freak, aren't you?”

“I could be,” Dick told him pulling Bruce towards the corner by his belt loops while the others were distracted. A crowd of people swarmed around them making them virtually invisible as everyone danced and moved around . If anyone noticed how far down Dick's hands wondered they didn't say anything.

-

He spent the entirety of the next morning trying not to think about how miserable work was going to be. Shawn had already texted him that Oliver was on the warpath and to tread lightly. “Everything okay?” Bruce asked falling onto the couch next to him with the coffee he'd taken from Jason in his hand.

He clicked off his phone and smiled into his kiss. “Great,” he lied and flipped on the TV as Dinah dragged herself down the hall. She laid on Dick's lap and he put on Dirty Dancing.

-

“He wants to see you,” Shawn said apologetically as Dick walked in. “He’s in his office.” She frowned and Dick passed her his bag having a feeling that he wouldn't need to put it in the break room.

He stood outside the office door for a moment trying to iron out his resolve. He was not sorry for what he said in regard to Bruce, but he could be sorry for the way that he had said it. Oliver had given him a chance when no one else wanted to hire him. His relationship with Bruce didn't excuse that courtesy. “Not sorry for what I said. Sorry for how I said it,” he muttered to himself, shaking his hands out before he knocked on the door. 

“Come in,” Oliver called.

Dick pushed open the door slowly and walked in. “You wanted to see me, Mr. Queen?”

“I did.” He nodded and closed his laptop. He leaned back in his chair and waved him in. “Shut the door and take a seat.”

Dick did already feeling dread creep up his throat as he sat down. He decided that it was probably best just to come out with it and tried to head him off, “Look, Oliver, I was out of line yesterday.”

Oliver held up a hand and smiled at him, but it didn't reach his eyes. A chill went down Dick's spine and not in a good way. “Don’t worry about it, that's not what I wanted to talk about.”

Dick swallowed. “Its not?”

“No,” he opened his laptop again making Dick think he'd only shut it to make an impression. “I was actually just reviewing numbers,” he told him. “We have to let a bartender go soon, we just aren't hitting what we had in opening sales. So I'm giving you all extra shifts to see how it helps performance. I just want to let everyone know before I sent out the schedule since it will be a little odd.”

“Oh.” Dick blinked at him. “Is...is that it?” he asked tentatively.

“That's it.” Oliver smiled easily. “Will you send Tiger back when he gets in?”

-

The rest of the week went by like normal. Four shifts and then he was at the manor with Bruce. But when the next schedule came out, Dick thought there had been a mistake. He had a shift every single day, sometimes two and all of his closes went into opening shifts. He didn't want to tell Bruce. But it was hard to explain why he was home at four and then back out the door at eight every other day and then not coming back until four again.

“This isn't right,” Bruce said over coffee on the one day that he didn't have to be up early and he looked at Dick's phone. “He can't do this.”

“But he can.” Dick yawned and took his phone back. “He's my boss Bruce. He gave everyone extra shifts.”

“Five extra shifts a week?” Bruce demanded fuming. He pulled out his phone and Dick scrambled for it. “Hey!”

“I know it sucks,” Dick said as soothingly as he could while holding Bruce's phone as far away from him as he could. “But I went on twenty seven interviews before Oliver hired me. Twenty seven, babe.” Bruce relaxed but he looked extremely unhappy about it. “Oliver will forget he's mad by the end of the week. And if he doesn't I'll go and apologize, okay? I promise.”

Bruce shook his head and pulled Dick closer to him, “You are a better employee than he deserves.”

Dick smiled exhausted and tucked his head into Bruce's neck, “Shhh. I'm sleeping on you.”

-

It didn't get better the next week. And by the time he closed the bar on Sunday he could barely keep his eyes open. He texted Bruce to tell him he was going back to the Clock tower since it was closer and he didn't think that he'd make it to the manor. He just barely shut his eyes when he alarm went off and he was out of bed again.

A man on the subway took one look at him and got out of his seat to offer it to Dick who took it gratefully. His eyes were so heavy. He shut them for just a moment and when he opened them again the entire compartment had changed. He blinked and looked at the stop shoot out of his seat with a curse. “Shit.” He shoved out of the subway and sprinted up to the street. He had only gone ten blocks too far. If he waited for the next train he wouldn't make it to work for almost an hour. So he ran. He pushed open the door twenty minutes after he was supposed to be there wheezing. Shawn looked at him concerned from behind the bar.

“Dick?” she asked, “What the hell?”

“Sorry…” he panted. “I… train… sleep…. Was…”

“Late.” He looked up at Oliver who was walking over to him looking smug.

He forced himself to stand up straight. “Sorry Oliver…” he panted. “I… missed the… train stop….”

Oliver shook his head and pulled him back towards the door. “Look, Dick,” he sighed straightening his back. “You are a good kid, the girls and staff like you and you really helped us open Vermillion. And I'm grateful really.” He reached out and straightened Dick's collar that was sticking up from the wind. “But twenty minutes late, you look a mess. I have to set an example. I hope you understand.”

Dick frown at him, “What are you...saying?” he asked.

“Oh, you're fired,” Oliver told him and tried to cover his smile with a shrug. He pat Dick's shoulder. “No hard feelings? I'm happy to write you a letter of recommendation if you need it,” he said and looked back towards the bar. “Hey, Shawn-” he started leaving Dick to walk numbly out the door and start the walk back to the subway stop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We... do like Oliver. (I love Green Arrow and am super bummed that it is done at issue 50)
> 
> Hope you enjoy. Let us know what you think. 
> 
> If you have story requests, questions or just want to say hello-- follow DNA and I on twitter at [@PBrubbs](https://twitter.com/PBrubbs) and [@Dnawhite51](https://twitter.com/Dnawhite51) and see the process of our day to day writing frustrations. 
> 
> -DNA


	6. Chapter 6

"I'm going to kill him,” he barked pushing the door shut behind him.

“Who are we murdering?” Clark asked a spoon posed in front of Jon who was staring at it in disgust.

“Oliver. He just fired Dick.”

The spoon dropped and Jon's attention followed it. Clark turned to him then the door. “Lois! Do you know where our shovel is?”

“We don't own a shovel. Remember how horrified your father was when he visited?” Lois walked in still folding one of Jon's blankets.

“We'll have to stop and buy a shovel,” Clark said turning to him. Lois looked between them.

“What did I miss?”

“Oliver fired Dick because he's a child who can't share his toys.” He winced at Clark's summary. “So we're killing him and burying his body.”

“Shouldn't you be comforting your boyfriend instead of plotting the murder of one of our oldest friends which would immediately make us the first suspects?”

“Bruce is rich enough. He could buy off the police.”

“Dick just wants to sleep. He's been working ridiculous hours,” he told Lois, ignoring Clark's comment as he went back to feeding Jon. “He missed his stop on the subway because he was so exhausted.” He sat down next to Clark and sighed. “You were right. I should have told Oliver. If I'd told him maybe none of this would have happened.”

Lois pat his shoulder. Her I told you so silent but there in her eyes.

“I like picturing Ollie's face when Dick told him he was stupid.” Clark hadn't held back any of his comments on the situation, very clear who he stood behind. “Sometimes I do it when Perry is yelling at me.”

“Is that why you keep smiling?” Clark ducked his head as Lois flicked his ear.

Lois spent half of the night texting, but refusing to tell them who she was texting. She pulled the source card when Clark reached for her phone. She looked sheepish and put her phone away after that.

-

Barbara answered the door in an oversized shirt. She yawned and turned around. He followed her up the stairs, but headed to Dick's room when she turned toward hers. He slipped out of his shoes and climbed into Dick's bed. Dick hummed and turned.

“Hey,” he whispered still half asleep.

“Hey. Go back to sleep.”

“Okay,” Dick whispered and closed his eyes. He was out a second later.

-

“You weren't here when I went to sleep,” Dick said the next morning. He opened his eyes to Dick grinning at him. “Did I dream you into existence?”

“Yes, you did.” Dick kissed him. “You slept well?”

“It's the only perk of getting fired,” Dick said flopping back onto the bed. “I can sleep whenever I want.”

He propped his head on his hand and looked down at Dick. Dick sighed and turned to him.

“I liked working there. I liked the others. I liked talking to people. I was good at it.” He nodded, but Dick hadn't finished. “I don't know what I'm going to do now.” He caught Dick's hand and brought it to his lips like Dick had at Vermillion.

He had to fight back his need to rush in and be the knight in shining armor, to wipe away all of Dick's worries. He knew Dick, knew that he wouldn't take any money he offered. Dick was proud of the life he built on his own and Bruce respected that. He couldn't change the way he was raised, his parents money, but he had worked to make sure that it wasn't the only thing people saw when they looked at him. Some people would never look past it, but he knew that the ones that mattered would.

“I could get another modeling gig. The last one lasted me two years.” Dick sounded hesitant. His eyes focused anywhere but Bruce.

“Why are you making that face?” he asked. Dick turned to look at him. “I know that you don't mind the attention. Or the actual ads, you live underneath one. But every time you talk about it you get this look like it was the worst thing you'd ever done.”

Dick made a face, taking his time to chew on whatever was floating around in his overly exhausted mind. “It felt like it for a while,” he finally said. “But not because of the actual modeling. It was fun and it's kind of nice to be told how gorgeous you are all the time.” He grinned at Bruce who pushed a loose hair off of his forehead. “But it bothered Wally, and at the time Wally was like, everything. He made me feel bad about it, told me that if I was going to work with kids I probably shouldn't be ‘the underwear guy’.” He looked up at the ceiling. “But the kids won't even know, and if they do they'll have more than enough of their own problems to give a shit. Wally was jealous and I get that.” He looked back at Bruce all wide eyed and open. “I just don't want to drive you away because I could take the easy way out. You are worth a thousand horrible job interviews.”

He shook his head. “I like seeing you and if calling your agent means you won't be stressed. Then call him.” He looked down at Dick. His normally bright eyes clouded with worry. He rubbed his thumb against his cheek. He didn't like that Dick doubted him, doubted that he would stay. The feeling was there, had been there for weeks, it was easy to let it out. “I love you. I'm not going anywhere.” Dick's eyes brightened before he pulled him in and kissed him.

-

When they walked into the kitchen, Barbara was at the counter eating a spoonful of cereal as she watched them.

“We need thicker walls,” she grumbled. Dick laughed and hid behind him. He smirked and shrugged. He wasn't about to apologize. Barbara snorted. “You and Jason are so much alike.” She waved her hand at his face. “Same little smug look.”

He chuckled.

“That better not be the last of my cereal,” Dick said.

“I can make pancakes,” Bruce offered when Dick shook the empty box at Barbara.

“Babs can make us pancakes since she's the thief.”

“Jason's actually on his way to pick me up. But you two have fun burning your breakfast.” She slipped out of the room before Dick could get around the island.

A few pancakes did get burnt.

-

“This is a terrible idea.”

“We're all adults.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“What if I just stayed? The babysitter got sick.”

“You're coming to this dinner. And we're all going to be adults and be friends. We're all friends remember?”

They were supposed to be.

It had been a week since Dick got fired and he hadn't gotten a single text from Oliver, the group chat was quiet. It felt like something was brewing.

Bruce sat down and Clark took the chair next to him. Diana was sitting on his other side. Oliver was sitting across the round table from him. Hal sat next to him, and Barry on his other side, though Barry was talking to Iris as she went through the drink menu. John looked disinterested in whatever was going on. Mera and Arthur were talking with Diana.

He wasn't sure what was said, but an old argument started up. The tension at the table snapping. He listened to everyone bicker. Then Oliver spoke.

“At least you weren't the last to know.” It was completely unrelated to anything that had been said and Bruce knew that it was directed at him.

“You were in Seattle. I didn't plan on telling them.” He waved at the their friends who were all staring at them now. “We were just at lunch and it came out.”

Oliver laughed. He gripped his fork to keep calm. “I think you knew you were making a mistake. That's why you didn't tell me.”

“A mistake?” he repeated.

“You were the one claiming they were Soulmates,” Lois chimed in.

“Yeah. I thought they might have some fun and Bruce would lighten up some. Dick's just a kid. They're not going to last.”

He stood. He didn't have to listen to this.

He paced in front of the restroom trying to calm down.

“Hey,” he turned at Oliver's voice. He looked different, softer. Like he looked when it was just them at the manor and they didn't have anything to do for the whole day. “I'm sorry, that didn't come out right.”

“No? It sounded like you meant what you said.”

Oliver stepped closer, he backed up and Oliver's hand dropped. Bruce knew what he was doing. The closeness, the touching. He looked at Oliver and realized that he knew. He knew how Bruce felt. How long? How long had he known?

“Dick was right. I was stupid.”

“Oll-”

“You were always there for me.” _He was_ always _there for_ him. But Oliver had never been there when he needed him to be.

“I should have seen it sooner. Should have realized that I-” Oliver stopped and their eyes met a second before he felt lips on his. This was everything he'd ever wanted. For years he'd wished that he could have a chance, but even now, even in his last attempt to get him Oliver couldn't tell him how he felt, couldn't say the easiest words in the world. He pushed away.

“But you didn't.”

He pushed past Oliver. When he got back to the table he told them that he was heading out early. Lois texted him before he'd even gotten out of the restaurant. He didn't reply. He had somewhere he needed to be, someone he needed to talk to before doing anything else.

-

Dick paused his game and looked over the couch at him. “You're home early.”

“I left. Oliver kissed me.”

A horrible raging jealousy clenched at Dick’s stomach for a moment. He thought about Oliver’s hand on Bruce's back at the bar the other day and how much he had wanted to hit him then. But just imagining him stepping up to Bruce, pulling him in- kissing him. Red burned in his eyes before he could clear it enough to see Bruce's face. The jealousy left just as quickly as it came. He pulled his headphones off and put the controller down.

“Bruce…” he jumped over the back of the couch when he didn't respond. “B,” he ran a hand down his arm to pull his attention back up. “Are you-”

Bruce cut him off with a kiss. It was hard and searching and a little bit desperate as he pushed them back until they hit the back of the couch. “Bruce,” he gasped, but he didn't stop. “Bruce,” he tried again but when he pushed back, his lips just moved down to his neck.

“I didn’t want to kiss him,” he muttered into his skin, biting at Dick's pulse. “I pushed him away and I told him no.”

“I know.” Dick gasped as Bruce pulled up his legs and he was sitting on the back of the couch. “I know, I trust you.”

“I left right after.” Bruce said anyway, his voice raw as his fingers knotted in Dick's hair. “I didn’t want to kiss him,” he said again as he went in for another kiss. It went on forever getting deeper and hotter until Dick could barely pull away from him to catch his breath and then he didn't want to at all. The worry was still there at the back of his mind prodding at him to make sure Bruce was okay, but he was so overcome by him that he couldn't get the words out.

He let Bruce move him, dragging him off the back of the couch and down the hall toward his room. He managed to get Bruce’s shirt and jacket off before the door had even opened and dropped his belt as it shut. Dick popped open the button on Bruce's pants. Bruce pushed Dick's sweats to the ground and groaned when he saw that he wasn't wearing anything under them. He pulled them toward the bed. Dick opened the side drawer and rummaged through it blindly until he managed to find the small bottle of lube that Dinah had thrown at him after she went to one of those weird sex toy parties a couple of days before hand. Bruce took it from him and shoved Dick down onto the bed, spilling half of the bottle over his hand and then he had two fingers inside of him. Bruce didn’t even take his pants off before sliding into him. He bit his lip as he waited for Dick to nod his okay and when he got it he moved so hard and so fast that the bed frame rocked back against the wall and Dick let out a slew of curses that he didn’t even know the meaning of. Bruce held his hips hard enough to bruise him, and Dick almost hoped that he did. He wanted a mark so that the next time Oliver tried to go after him, he could see where Bruce’s claim was. Where he wanted to be. Possessing him completely and primally.

Bruce came with a hard thrust into Dick that almost did him in as his dick twitched against his prostate in a perfect whisper of movement. But Bruce didn’t waste a beat as he fell onto his knees on the floor in front of him and dragged Dick to the edge of the bed. He took him in almost completely in one swallow and it only took two bobs of his head for Dick’s toes to curl making him see stars on the ceiling.

It took him more than a moment to catch his breath. The attack on his senses leaving his head empty and heavy with sensation while his heart beat itself back to a more normal pace. Bruce was tracing kisses down his inner thigh to his knee when he could finally sit up and curl his hand around the nape of his neck to kiss him again, sweetly this time. Less rushed. “Well that was awesome,” he breathed and Bruce smirked at him. It didn’t reach his eyes though and the little voice in the back of his mind stepped forward again. “Are you okay?” he asked.

Bruce answered with a kiss again, climbing his way back up his body so that he was laying down again. But the voice was more persistent this time, it made Dick pushed him back, his hands cradling his face as he looked up at those too sad eyes. A look he hadn’t seen since the first night they spent together.

“Tell me what you are feeling,” he pushed him softly. “I love you. I’m not mad about anything. I promise. I just want to know that you are okay. And you don’t look okay.”

Bruce sighed and kissed Dick’s palm before he climbed off of him and fell next to where he was laying on the bed. They both stared up at the ceiling. “You really are perfect.” he said like it was a heavy thought.

Pleasure spiked through his spine at the simple but revealing compliment but he pushed it down, “And I’m not going to let you change the subject.” He smiled when Bruce made a face at him and sat up so that he could look down at his boyfriend. He pulled the blanket so that it was covering them as Brue sat up too and they were sitting with their legs crossed, knees touching as they faced each other.

“I guess I’m just...sad,” Bruce told him honestly, looking down at the blanket covering them. “Not that I want Oliver or anything, but I did for such a long time and he finally made it seem like he wanted me too. But he doesn’t.” He shook his head and tried to smile but it didn’t quite fit on his face.

Dick frowned at him. “What do you mean?”

Bruce chewed on that for a second. “He told me that he should have realised his feelings sooner, but he didn’t actually say what they were. He just said he should have realized sooner and he kissed me. It’s because he doesn’t actually have those feelings. Maybe he doesn’t realise that, but I know. He just doesn’t know how to not have me.” He shrugged and finally looked back up at Dick, “He said that he knew I was in love with him,” he added, his cheeks heating up.

Dick took Bruce’s hand where it was laying in his lap and squeezed it. “Then he’s a bigger idiot than I thought,” he said completely straight-faced. That got a real smile out of Bruce. Dick leaned forward and kissed him, putting all of the love that he could into such a simple action and when he pulled back he stayed close. “You are amazing Bruce. The things you do, the things you say they inspire people to be the best versions of themselves. You made Oliver a better man by taking care of him. But that isn't your job. It’s time that you let yourself be taken care of.” He smiled modestly knowing that there wasn’t all that much that he could provide Bruce himself. “And maybe I’m not a millionaire, but I have a whole wealth of love and it’s yours for as long as you want it.”

Bruce cupped his cheek and let his eyes close as he kissed him, all of the urgency from before gone now. “That was the sappiest speech I have ever heard. You are so lucky models don’t have to talk.”

Dick grinned and shoved him back on the bed. “Shut up.”

\---

“Lois almost punched him for you,” Clark said when Bruce opened the manor door. Jon was in Bruce's arms a second later. Clark turned and picked up a duffel and one of playpens. He looked behind him. How did he get here? The truck wasn't in the driveway.

“Oh. Lois had an interview with the Mayor. We tagged along,” Clark called from the stairs.

“Hi buddy,” he said when Jon poked at his face. “Let's go see what your dad is doing.”

“Where did you put the baby gate?”

“Other closet,” he said. Clark cheered as he wrestled the gate free from the closet full of miscellaneous things.

“Seeing as you're not trying to steal Jon away to some dark tower in the wilderness, telling Dick didn't go horribly.”

He shook his head. “He believed me, that I didn't want to kiss Oliver. And you've been watching too much Tangled.”

“Jon likes it.” Clark made a face at Jon and they started walking, Jon waddling ahead of them. “Barry said Ollie feels like crap. Apparently they went out after we split up. He ended up crashing in their hotel room.” He hummed. Bruce wasn't sure how he was supposed to respond to that. He wasn't even sure how he felt about it. Part of him was glad that Oliver was hurting, after all he'd put him through- after all he'd tried to ruin. But he still worried. Oliver, if nothing else, was still one of his oldest friends. He might not have been there for him like Bruce wanted him to be, but he had always known that if he called, if he reached out, Oliver would answer. He'd stood next to him when they buried his parents. He'd distracted him when Jason moved out. He wanted to go back to how things had been before. Before they had - back when they had -

“Are we even actually friends?” he whispered. So much of their history, of their friendship, had been so twisted and warped by sex and the emotions he'd held. Clark had looked over to him and was silently studying him. “We've been doing this since we were 15. Are we supposed to go back to that? Two kids who only like each other because we hate everyone else at our school?”

“Do you want to?” Clark asked. He frowned over to him. “Do you want to go back and pretend like the last however many years didn't happen?”

He shook his head. He knew he couldn't do that. No matter how much they tried they wouldn't be able to erase almost half of their lives.

“You don't have to be friends.” He flicked his eyes to Clark. “I know I've been a little harsh lately.” He raised an eyebrow and Clark shrugged. “But this isn't about that. I don't want you to think you have to be friends now because you were friends then.” Clark stooped to help Jon back to his feet. “I don't think you should make any decision right now. You need time and I think he does too. But think about why you have the friends that you have.” Clark smiled and pointed at himself. “And think about whether Oliver can be a friend like that. If you don't think he can, then let it end.”

“When did you get all wise?” He asked.

“It comes with fatherhood. You taught us that oh wise one.” 

- 

Bruce heard footsteps, but ignored them and held out his hands.

“Come to daddy,” Clark said waving his fingers at Jon.

“No, come here buddy. I'll buy you a new puppy.”

“Ignore him. Come to your Pa.”

“Come to Uncle Bruce. I'll buy you every toy you want even when your dad says no.”

“Stop trying to bribe my son. He doesn't even understand what you're saying.”

“Then why is he coming to me?” Jon waddled over and laughed as he fell into his lap. He hugged him before lifting him into the air earning another shriek of laughter.

“Lois! Our son hates me,” Clark wailed as he fell onto the carpet. Jon giggled and waddled over, smacking Clark in the face as he fell on him. Dick stood next to Lois watching them.

“Hi, home already?” Dick smiled at him before leaning down to kiss him. He tilted back to return the kiss.

The client made their decision before I even got there. Apparently they'd seen my ad and liked it.” He pulled Dick down. Lois was blowing raspberries on Jon's stomach filling the room with laughter.

“I thought we could celebrate. I'm not unemployed!” Dick cheered quietly and waved his fingers around.

“I ordered pizza a little while ago. But we can save it. Go out.”

Dick shook his head. Jon was crawling over to them. His face determined as his parents watched behind him. “Its okay. We can celebrate later.” Jon shouted up at Dick when he reached them.

They spent the rest of the night eating pizza in the den and watching Jon play with the toys spread around the room.

“Well we should get this one to bed. You sure we can stay,” Lois asked. She asked every time even though he'd never denied her, and always had the space.

“Yes I'm sure. But you owe me breakfast. For the inconvenience.”

“Two pieces of burnt toast coming up,” Lois said. Clark picked up Jon.

“I'll handle breakfast,” he whispered after pushing Lois through the door. Lois squawked her outrage as they walked down the hall.

- 

“Did you do this?” Dick asked as he walked in the door.

“Did I do what?” he asked as he continued to read.

“I got to my shoot today and it was Diana.”

“For her museum ad? That's great.”

“You didn't tell her to hire me?” Dick asked. He looked over to Dick and set his book down. He grabbed Dick's hand and pulled him onto the chair with him.

“No. I didn't. Although I did introduce you two, so maybe I should take credit. It is because of me that she was blessed with your gorgeous face.” Dick rolled his eyes. “Were they awed by your beauty?” He kissed Dick.

“They were so awed,” Dick agreed.

He pulled Dick closer and kissed him again.

-

“Are you busy tonight?” Dick asked. He was underneath Jason's truck trying to teach his brother how to change his own oil.

“If Jason ever gets that nut off-” he got an elbow to his ribs.

“Oliver asked if we wanted to have dinner.” Jason dropped the wrench and looked over to him. They both pushed themselves from under the truck.

“He what?” Jason asked.

“He called me to apologize for how he'd acted. Then asked if we wanted to go to dinner.” Dick's face was blank. He knew that he wanted Bruce to make his own decision. He could feel Jason's eyes on him.

“I don't think tonight works, but we could do Tuesday right? If he's okay with rescheduling.” Dick smiled at him.

“Okay. I'll let him know.”

Clark was right. They had needed time. Maybe they wouldn't ever be friends like they were, but dinner was a start. Oliver apologizing to Dick was a better start than he'd ever imagined.

-

He took a deep breath and stepped out of the car. There were flashes from the cameras outside the museum. It had been a month since Dick's ads had started showing up on the streets. A month since Bruce sent him a selfie with one. A month since Dick's silence worried him and he went to the clock tower to check on him. A month since they made out in the stairwell while he told Dick how good he'd looked.

“Bruce! Bruce,” Vicki called. He smiled and stepped over to her. He resisted the urge to adjust his tie.

“Hello, Vicki. Slow week?”

She laughed. “I already know most of your regular answers, but what are you looking forward to tonight.”

“I have some friends who I am looking forward to seeing.” He took a step toward the door. If he didn't make a move to leaving Vicki would draw out every filler answer that she could.

“I noticed you don't have a date tonight.”

He looked back at the museum. “I'm sure he's in there somewhere. His face is on all of the banners after all.” When he looked back at Vicki she was staring slack jawed at him. “Have a goodnight, Vicki.”

“Bruce!” she called when he was halfway up the stairs. He kept walking.

It didn't take him long to find Dick. He was standing with Diana talking to a few guests. He placed his hand on the small of Dick's back when he stepped up next to him. They talked for a few minutes before Diana saw someone across the room and guided them over.

“How did it go?” Dick asked when they were by themselves. He watched Diana smile before looking back at them, her eyes drifting to the point of contact. She smiled before turning back. He had told them all what his plan was. Jason had told him he was going go stay at Babs’ and turning off his phone. He'd told Lucius he was telling Vicki that night. The man had reassured him when he'd expressed his worries. It didn't matter how the city reacted, he had support from everyone that mattered.

“She was more surprised than I expected.”

“You okay?” Dick asked.

Bruce kissed his temple and thought of the box sitting in his underwear drawer. He smiled. “I'm great.”

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well we've gotten to the end of another fic. I'm always a little surprised when we finish them. (After all we do have a folder on our drive named '1000 times we didn't finish fic' for a reason.)
> 
> We like to think that Bruce and Dick adopt a little boy perhaps he's named Damian and maybe him and Jon grow up to be super friends.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the Fic. Shoot us a comment if you do. 
> 
> As always, Thanks for reading! 
> 
> If you have story requests, questions or just want to say hello-- follow DNA and I on twitter at [@PBrubbs](https://twitter.com/PBrubbs) and [@Dnawhite51](https://twitter.com/Dnawhite51) and see the process of our day to day writing frustrations. 
> 
> -D


End file.
